Give guns to all cops, says police union

Police Association president Greg O'Connor. Photo / Northern Advocate.

The Police Association is calling for the general arming of all police - even though the Government and Police Commissioner Howard Broad have poured cold water on the idea.

The association decided its position during its annual conference in Wellington last night, the day after Prime Minister John Key and Police Minister Judith Collins ruled it out for the time being.

Surveys commissioned by the association revealed that 72 per cent of association members supported general arming of police, up from 47 per cent two years ago. More than half of the public - 58 per cent - also supported general arming.

If there was no move to full general arming, virtually all members said they would support firearms being carried in every frontline police vehicle, an option that has found favour with Ms Collins and which Mr Broad is looking into.

A slight majority preferred improved access to firearms short of general arming, and a majority of officers most likely to come across an armed offender preferred general arming.

These including road policing staff, frontline staff and rural staff.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the results were unsurprising, as nine officers had been shot in the past two years.

"Two of those officers, Len Snee and Don Wilkinson, were killed. There have been numerous other close calls, such as the P dealer who pulled a gun on police in a downtown pub in Auckland in May.

"Shootings are no longer isolated incidents. Serious criminals are already carrying guns, and are increasingly ready to use them."

He said general arming would be a major step for police but was inevitable. "Moving to guns in lockboxes in all frontline vehicles would be a good first step."