A former cop is suggesting a trial of arming police as "a perfect storm" of factors have led to heightened tensions and violence, both in New Zealand and globally.
An officer was shot in the shoulder and arm area in Hamilton around midnight Saturday. He's undergone surgery for his injuries.
Then a man was killed in exchange of gun-fire with police on Wednesday night, also in Hamilton.
In a separate incident yesterday, a man was admitted to hospital after being shot by police in Auckland's Penrose after he allegedly held a gun to the heads of two members of the public while stealing one vehicle and attempting to steal another.
The man remains in hospital in a stable condition. No charges have been laid.
This morning in the Auckland suburb of Penrose a man allegedly pointed a gun at two separate drivers before being shot by police.
It all comes as a court hears evidence in the trial of Eli Epiha , for the attempted murder of Constable David Goldfinch in West Auckland one year ago. Constable Matthew Hunt was shot dead by Epiha in the same incident.
But, as reported by 1 NEWS yesterday, police officers in New Zealand have been shot at or confronted with a gun at least 44 times in the past two years.
Founder of WARN International, Lance Burdett, this morning suggested New Zealand police could trial arming officers for around one-month.
But he cautioned it only made gun violence worse in countries like the US, Australia and the UK.
Burdett has also been a member of the New Zealand police for 22 years, 13 of them as a crisis negotiator and instructor specialising in predicting violent behaviour.
He told Breakfast Covid-19 stress, including isolation from others, alcohol and drug use, and being on cell phones have all led to "a perfect storm" of heightened tensions.
Burdett said violence has increased 20 per cent globally amid the pandemic, including domestic violence, gun violence and arguments in the workplace.
"Fight or flight. We're becoming angrier than ever before and also sadder than ever before," he said.
"Isolating people was a form of punishment in prison, isolating people is a form of punishment in institutions because as a species we love to be connected."
Police officers on the frontline are the ones dealing with this heightened violence, and Burdett said they were "going out afraid".
He said more could be done as interim measures, though, between how police work now and fully arming officers.
He said measures could utilise "cheap as chips" technology, including GPS tracking in police cars, GPS trackers on officers that react if a cop goes down, and police body cameras.
Burdett also said two-manned cars were important to keep police safe. It comes after it was revealed the officer shot in Hamilton at the weekend was patrolling alone.
"The technology's there and its cheap as chips. It doesn't stop the person shooting you, so this is the thing, so before then what could we do?
"Armed police - it hasn't stopped shootings in America, it hasn't stopped shooting in Australia, it hasn't stopped shootings in England, UK where they've tried these things. What's the interim measure?"
"The need is immediate. Police have the ability to temporarily arm staff, they can do it, there's legislation that says, so we could say for the next month while we're figuring out all this violence."
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