In the last two years, police in New Zealand have had a gun pulled on them or have been shot at least 44 times.
A serving officer working in a major centre told 1 NEWS reporter Corazon Miller about how they and their colleagues deal with the danger when they go out to do their jobs.
There seems to be a constant call for jobs where someone has turned up shot, or stabbed, or with broken bones or a manner of injuries and when we attend, people will refuse to talk to police for fear of retribution from gang violence. People are aware that the justice system offers them limited protection, and gangs will operate with no fear of it.
This morning in the Auckland suburb of Penrose a man allegedly pointed a gun at two separate drivers before being shot by police.
You used to work a weekday night shift and have only one or two events a night, but now it is constant calls to different events with violence increasing hugely. It is quite often a situation where you will be trying to take a lunch or dinner break because you haven't stopped but if and when you take one, you will be hearing jobs with violent offenders occurring or domestic violence happening and you just can’t justify sitting there.
The organisation would say you are entitled to these breaks and that we are encouraged to take them, but for the most part the kind of people that join aren’t ones that could sit there when they know they are needed.
Each time (an officer is shot) it is horrendous, but it is also something you get kind of numb to as I think we are all coming to expect it more and more. It has gone from a shocked 'did you see a cop got shot' to a 'oh did you see another cop was shot'.
The first thing that goes through your mind before you hear the name is 'who’s working at the moment' as you tally through which of your friends or family members it could potentially have been.
In a rare interview, a serving police officer tells us of his fears that each day on the job could be his last.
Even if you find out it is not someone you know, you're still in shock for the person who you know just went to work that day as per normal and now is in hospital or dead.
Also knowing it could have been you quite easily is a weird feeling, just because someone got sent to a different event or was put on a different roster. I think all police staff aren’t waiting for the 'if' as to when another colleague gets shot and/or dies, but the 'when'.
I don't think there has been a house I’ve entered or a car I’ve pulled over where I haven’t had a 'this could be it' moment, even if it's for half a second. You just kinda brush it away. But when working constantly with even a slight edge can take its toll.
I have had a close friend shot, nearly fatally, and quite a few friends have been shot at, and even more have had guns presented at them. I’ve got friends and family in front line roles and always aware that a call could be coming to say something's happened to them which is a constant stress. That puts more stress on me than anything for myself.
President Chris Cahill told 1 NEWS some officers are choosing to wear body armour more frequently due to the increased risk.
I think we are all aware this could happen any time. I have lost count of the amount of illegal firearms I have personally located, and the numbers are increasing constantly to a ridiculous amount. There has also been a culture shift with the gangs, it used to be they had firearms that were only used against each other and the police were kept out of it, but people are becoming happier and happier to use them against police.
The correlation between meth use, gang numbers and illegal firearms is huge.
I have been confronted with weapons and outnumbered with violent individuals on numerous occasions but this is all part of the job.
That kind of situation is not one I stress about and it's a known risk when signing up. The issue is number of guns getting involved changes the environment and in this regard I don’t feel resourced to be able to protect myself.
SHARE ME