Special Police Squad Given New Weapons

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30535, 2 September 1964, Page 12

Special Police Squad Given New Weapons

High-powered .22 rifles with telescopic sights are now available tb Christchurch policemen in a special squad formed to deal with emergencies in which firearms may have to be used.

In addition, most New Zealand policemen, until now among the world’s poorest schooled in the use of firearms, are to be given annual training with .303 and .22 rifles, and .32 and .38 semiautomatic pistols. Selected officers and other ranks, from both the C. 1.8. and uniform branch, have, attended a tactical training course in the use of weapons and deployment of men in the field, and other policemen who have attended a shooting course will become police instructors. 85 Attend Courses

About 60 policemen attended the twd-week tactical course at. Papakura, under Army direction, and 25 more completed a four-day weapons training course at Waiouru. This month they will attend a four-day course on instruction techniques at the Police School, Trentham. - The shootings in Auckland and Wellington last year in which policemen were killed, the wounding of two persons by a man firing from the top of a tower in Auckland (fire hoses were used ip an attempt to remove him from the tower), and other instances have prompted the Police Department to brush up policemen’s knowledge of how to employ arms to the best advantage and to institute regular shooting training for all ranks up to and including inspector.

However, the long-standing policy of having unarmed police in New Zealand is unchanged, according to the director of police training (Chief-Inspector G.' Claridge, of Wellington). The Police Act, 1958, and Police Regulations, 1959, say nothing on the subject of the use of firearms by the police. However, the general instructions of the New Zealand Police lay- down procedures for the use of firearms. Policemen acting against the instructions can be disciplined, according to the regulations. The policy is that policemen shall use firearms only when a person is armed with a firearm to the danger of the public. Few Carry Arms. Detectives on night patrol are entitled to carry firearms, but the general instructions say that, the arms are not to be displayed or used unless a policeman or member of the public is endangered by any person carrying a firearm. Few policemen carry firearms, except .on special occasions, in Christchurch.

The police do not want the situation tb arise in which they have to carry firearms because criminals are Carrying them, or vice versa. “Out policemen have never carried firearms on normal duties, and we want to keep it that way,” said ChiefInspector Claridge. “However, there is the odd occasion when policemen must be armed. When that happens we want them to be able to use their weapons. The new programme will stop them from getting rusty.”