Armed Offenders Squad under major review, including whether it remains fit for purpose

The Armed Offenders Squad is under a major review, including whether the police unit remains fit for purpose.

It comes after 1 NEWS last night revealed the police knew its trial of a new Armed Response Team had problems before it even started.

A localised review has already begun in Auckland.

Police are looking to the future, even as they use old technology. Its 300 part-time officers are paged to attend incidents. They're pulled from normal duties and then must arrive at base, and in some centres battle the traffic.

The review comes as some criticise what they see as a move towards everyday armed police.

“I think inevitably it will bring chaos and inevitably it will be a contradiction to who we believe we are,” Ngāi Tūhoe’s Tamati Kruger told 1 NEWS.

People Against Prisons Aotearoa's Emilie Rākete has laid one of two Treaty claims launched against police.

“This policy will put armed cops basically wherever, whenever, that's what people in America have to live with,” she said.

The relationship between police and guns coming under increasing scrutiny.