In the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake (where approximately 185 people died) police officers from Australia deployed into Christchurch to assist New Zealand Police. Unlike their Australian counterparts, New... more
In the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake (where approximately 185 people died) police officers from Australia deployed into Christchurch to assist New Zealand Police. Unlike their Australian counterparts, New Zealand Police are not routinely armed; they do not wear a firearm on their duty belt as a matter of course. As such, the Australian police officers had to 'disarm' during their deployment in New Zealand. There is anecdotal evidence that the 'disarmed' officers were initially fearful of operating unarmed, but over time they became accustomed to it, and observed that New Zealand police officers dealt with situations in a different manner because of their unarmed status. There is further anecdotal evidence that suggests some of the Australian officers, when returning from New Zealand, took time to readjust to policing in their 're-armed' state. While these anecdotes poses several questions—the most curious of which is to ask how two...
