KEY POINTS:
Some police responding to emergency calls will don protective body armour for the first time.
Counties Manukau police are the first in the country to be issued with Stab Resistant Body Armour (SRBA).
The first districts in line for the armour will be Counties Manukau, Auckland, North Shore and Northland, with the others to follow.
Superintendent Tony McLeod said last week's stabbing of a police officer with a screwdriver in Auckland showed the need for greater protection.
"The nature of police work is that on occasion our staff are confronted by violent offenders who wish to do them harm.
"SRBA will reduce injuries to officers in situations such as that which [the two policemen] faced last week," he said.
The two officers were stabbed by a 34-year-old Auckland man following a police car chase in Mt Wellington.
One was stabbed in the chest, the other in the leg.
The offender was charged with causing grievous bodily harm.
By April next year all operational staff in response roles will be wearing the armour when away from a police station.
The armour is effective against stabbing and cutting weapons and small calibre firearms.
The design of the body armour issued to New Zealand police is based on that worn by United Kingdom police.
Prototypes were tested in a variety of conditions and roles to ensure the armour was appropriate and comfortable.
"While SRBA is now an essential adjunct to police uniform for response staff, police will still use the full range of skills developed in tactical training to protect themselves, their colleagues and the public," Mr McLeod said.
The Police Association has been lobbying for body armour for some time.
President Greg O'Connor said last week many officers were "hanging out for it", and some had sourced their own armour second hand from the United States.
- NZPA
