A law unto itself

Photo / Supplied

They call themselves the "native" police - Waikato-based members of a group that has decked out patrol cars and asked for half the police budget to enforce the law.

But the real police say the group is "not special", and if members break the law while trying to keep it, they will face prosecution like any other member of the public.

It is the latest effort by the United Tribes of New Zealand to insert itself into running the country. The group, which claims authority over an "independent state" within New Zealand, has previously found trouble producing its own driver licences and passports.

This time it has its own badges and seals, and will soon issue warrants to volunteer officers. The officers patrol the streets of the Waikato in vehicles marked with blue and red livery and the name "Native Pirihimana" - the Maori word for "police".

Inspector Huri Dennis, the Maori strategic adviser for the New Zealand Police, said: "If they break the law, we'll deal with it on a case-by-case basis. If they get into a situation where they take the place of a police officer, for example, by trying to issue a trespass order or make an arrest, they will be dealt with just like any other member of the public."

Police instructed the group to change its name from "Native Police" to "Native Pirihimana", and to remove the lights . Waikato Police are monitoring the Pirihimana.