The increase in the frequency of firearms being pointed at police should be ringing alarm bells for the government to make a move on arming police before it's too late, says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“A person has allegedly pointed a firearm at an officer in the Manawatu over the weekend. This is yet another incident of a firearm being pulled on an officer during a traffic stop and is another step towards tragedy if police aren’t given the equipment they need to protect themselves.”

“More and more often routine traffic stops are becoming intensely dangerous with firearms being produced and officers being fired upon.”

“Over the past year police have been ordered to carry firearms more than once a week due to heightened threat levels.”

“Frontline police officers are quickly falling behind the consistently increasing threat level they are operating in. It is an unfortunate inevitability that our officers need to be armed. The fact is if things don’t change more of our frontline officers will be shot at and killed.”

“Police need the equipment in order to effectively protect themselves and the community. Being armed is for defence against the increased numbers and use of firearms in on our streets.”

“The worst thing that could happen is for the government to wait until more tragedies occur before they are forced to address this urgent issue.”

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