Police have announced today they will not continue with their controversial armed response teams trial.
The decision not to roll-out ARTs following the six-month trial, which finished in April, was based on preliminary findings from the trial evaluation, police said in a statement.
It included feedback received from the public, as well as consultation with community forum groups.
"Everything we do, we do to keep New Zealanders safe and feeling safe,” says Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.
“New Zealand Police values our relationships with the different communities we serve, and delivers on the commitments we make to them.
"This means listening and responding to our communities and partnering with them to find solutions that work for both Police and our communities.
"I have previously said that the evaluation would only be one factor in our decision making.
“It is clear to me that these response teams do not align with the style of policing that New Zealanders expect."
It comes after 1 NEWS revealed in late May that New Zealand Police knew its trials had problems even before the testing started.
Researchers evaluating it told police that the immediate start of the trial, its short length and lack of baseline data meant its true value wasn't clear.
Julia Whaipooti is urging for police not to stay armed now that a six-month trial is wrapping up.
In December, police were told again it was almost certain the trial wouldn’t provide enough evidence.
“As an outcome evaluation yes it's munted, it's not robust enough and even their design team says it's not robust enough for an outcome evaluation,” Auckland University’s Andrew Sporle told 1 NEWS.
There were also fears about the impact it could have on Māori and Pasifika communities.
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