The situation: A man holding a gun to his partner’s head. The response: Armed Offenders Squad, Air Support Unit and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

That was the scenario for the annual Tāmaki Makaurau AOS training camp held at the end of November.

While the exercise was artificial it was treated like the real deal, with officers boarding helicopters in Whangaparāoa and deploying to Wainui – north of Auckland.

There, teams landed and assembled and dealt with the situation as it unfolded, saving the victim of the family harm incident.

A key component of the training was to ensure the squad knew how to safely, efficiently and effectively board and disembark from helicopters while fully kitted up.

“These exercises are invaluable for AOS,” says Tāmaki Makaurau Armed Offender Squad Commander, Inspector David Hines.

“AOS members were highly professional and engaged during this drill and everyone worked well with the Air Support Unit and our partners in the NZDF.

“Ideally, these scenarios don’t become real life, but colleagues and the public can be reassured that we’re prepared and adaptable.”

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