Media Release

For Immediate Release
8 September 2015

Frontline police confronted once again

“For the fifth time in a month, frontline response police officers have had to deal with armed and clearly dangerous offenders,” Police Association President Greg O’Connor said today.

Mr O’Connor was commenting on the incident where an armed man was shot dead in the main street of Upper Hutt after presenting a firearm at police.

“This afternoon’s incident in Upper Hutt follows similar incidents in Palmerston North, Hamilton, Raetihi and Motueka, all in the last month,” he said

“In each of these incidents, the officers involved have been required to take immediate action in situations governed by the actions of armed offenders.

“Constant reassurances by Police administration and Government that nothing has changed in the criminal world are clearly out of touch. These incidents take place at a time when the numbers of frontline police deployable to such incidents are being reduced due to funding issues.

“The Police Association on behalf of its members asks how many such incidents it will take before the changing nature of the policing environment is acknowledged by authorities.

“The Police Association will fully support the officers involved in the shooting, and we ask that those who wish to comment on the officers’ actions should await the outcome of the properly conducted and intense inquiries that will follow today’s incident,” Mr O’Connor said.

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