Is it Time to Rethink Police Requirements to Carry Firearms?

Opinion Piece: Hugh Devereux-Mack Public Spokesperson COLFO

When I first accepted the position of COLFO Spokesperson, there was a movement within Police to carry firearms as part of their everyday uniforms which COLFO advocated against due to a lack of sufficient police firearm training. This was highlighted recently in the coroner's report that found police tactics in the fatal shooting of Shargin Stephens showed a disregard for the right to life.

We hear that despite the promises that the firearms buy-back, new firearms register, and further restrictions on licensed firearm owners would make New Zealand safer, the streets are more dangerous for police. Since 2020, New Zealand Police have been involved in six fatal shootings an alarming figure in a country where officers are not routinely armed. In most cases, police cited perceived threats involving weapons such as firearms or machetes, though not all individuals were armed with guns. While the Independent Police Conduct Authority ruled each shooting justified, the rising frequency peaking with four fatal police shootings in 2021 raises serious questions about police training, use-of-force protocols, and whether officers are adequately prepared to safely de-escalate situations.

The new Arms Act presents the opportunity to revisit our nation's thinking around the role police firearms have in our society.

Police and Licensing Today

Many people may be surprised to learn that the police do not need to have a firearms license in order to carry firearms as part of their job.

The Arms Act 1983, specifically section 3(2)(ii), exempts police officers from the requirement to hold a firearms license when carrying or using firearms in the course of their duties. This exemption applies because the restrictions in the Arms Act that apply to the general public do not apply to police officers (or the New Zealand military). As a result, police officers can legally carry firearms, such as Glock 17 pistols and Bushmaster XM-15 rifles, which are typically stored in locked cabinets in police vehicles, without needing a personal firearms license.

In contrast, there is no equivalent blanket exemption in the Land Transport Act 1998 for police officers regarding driver's licenses. Police officers are generally required to hold a valid driver's license to operate vehicles on public roads, just like any other citizen, unless specific exemptions apply. The Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999 governs driver licensing, and while police officers receive specialized driver training (e.g., for pursuits or emergency response), they must still hold a valid license appropriate to the vehicle class they are operating.

So we must ask: If they need a license to operate a motor vehicle, why should they not need to pass the same checks and meet standard requirements that civilians must?

New Zealand’s stringent firearms ownership laws, governed by the Arms Act 1983, reflect a commitment to public safety while trying to balance the needs of responsible gun owners. Civilians aged 16 or older must obtain a firearms license by proving they are a "fit and proper person" through rigorous vetting, including criminal and mental health checks, interviews, and a mandatory safety course with a theory test. Secure storage inspections and a firearms registry for non-sporting firearms like pistols and military-style semi-automatics requiring specific endorsements and permits. Furthermore pistol ownership under the Arms Act 1983 is tightly regulated, requiring active membership in a recognized pistol club for at least 6 months and participation in a minimum of 12 club shoots annually to qualify for and maintain a B Category endorsement, which is granted only for specific purposes like target shooting, not self-defense.

Police and Firearms

Each frontline police vehicle typically carries two Glock 17 Gen 4 pistols and one Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle, secured in locked boxes.

Police officers receive significantly less firearm training compared to licensed firearm owners. Police officers train with firearms such as pistols only twice annually, whereas licensed firearm owners with a pistol endorsement are required to practice at a shooting range 12 times per year.

This is significant because civilian pistol shooters may only use their firearms on a certified range under strictly controlled conditions, whereas police carry and deploy their firearms in the field against, and in the vicinity of civilians across both urban and rural environments which change rapidly. Does that give you as a citizen confidence police with firearms and a lack of training make society safer?

COLFO has also been contacted by sworn officers who have expressed their concerns about the mental health of their colleagues who have access to firearms. As licensed firearm owners, your GP may contact the firearms safety authority should you report any concerning signs of mental distress such as anxiety or depression. Because police are unlicensed, no such requirement exists because to report such a concern to the officer's employer would be a breach of their medical privacy. This is yet another double standard.

A New Way of Thinking

With the Arms Act being rewritten, we have the opportunity to revisit the police's relationship with firearms and demand that all sworn officers be required to acquire their firearms license as part of their training.

I can hear Police and their Union objections already: the military don't need licenses why should we, it's too expensive, it's unnecessary, it's too much of a hassle...

The difference between the Police and the Defense force is simple; the NZDF does not, as part of their everyday role, have access to firearms and the option to use them against New Zealand citizens. They also have significantly more training and range time.

There are just over 10,000 sworn police officers in New Zealand as of 2023. There are 243,000 licensed firearm owners who have obtained a firearms license without dedicated professionals teaching them as new recruits have when they join Police. So given new recruits are vetted, and trained, the additional effort required to qualify for a license is minimal. So it isn't too expensive nor a hassle. If we must do it, so should they.

There is a valid argument that because police store firearms in their secure vehicles, or stations, they shouldn't need to have a safe or secure storage in their homes which all licensed owners are required to have, even if we don't own firearms. But the Firearms Safety Authority has low cost options which meet the minimum standards and could be applied to officers who do not want to own firearms personally.

The Benefits

The primary benefit of this change is public safety. A firearms license for police not only ensures they must maintain a minimum standard of firearm handling that we expect of civilians, but also that they are familiar with the laws that they are enforcing. Currently the firearms laws are a mess and because they do not need to live by those rules, police often have little idea what the law is when they are trying to enforce it.

By licensing police we also ensure that there is greater funding in the system which helps the administration for all. Police and the government will be incentivized to create a better national range infrastructure to ensure their officers and the public are able to access well maintained ranges and learn to use firearms safely.

Police being licensed firearm owners also sets the stage for police to repair their relationship with the licensed firearm community and return to a collaborative state that helps identify problematic behaviors or concerns.

With Police requiring officers to maintain regular firearms training and attendance equal to that of civilians, there is then a reason to improve New Zealand's network of ranges ensuring that all licensed firearm owners have access to facilities to sight-in, practice, and socialise safely.

The Bottom Line

In a country where public safety is used as the justification for ever-stricter firearms laws on civilians, it’s unacceptable that those granted the highest authority to carry and use firearms face the least scrutiny. Requiring sworn Police officers to obtain and maintain at minimum a standard firearms licence if not a B-Cat is not a radical demand; it’s common sense. If 243,000 everyday New Zealanders can meet that standard, so can the 10,000 officers entrusted to use lethal force in public. Licensing police would lift standards, rebuild trust, and bring Police into the system they’re tasked with enforcing. It would improve firearm handling, legal knowledge, and accountability, none of which should be optional for someone armed on our streets.

The rewrite of the Arms Act is our moment to draw a line: no license, no firearms, regardless of the badge.