Armed Offenders Squad have been deployed more in 2018 than the previous five years. Photo / File
Armed Offenders Squad have been deployed more in 2018 than the previous five years. Photo / File
The Armed Offenders Squad was called out 118 times across the Bay of Plenty region in 2018 - the highest record of deployments since 2013.
Figures released to the Rotorua Daily Post by police covered the Eastern to the Western side of the Bay of Plenty and down to Taupō.
In 2013 and 2014, the Armed Offenders Squad were called out 58 times each year across the region. This increased to 96 call-outs in 2015 and 99 in 2016.
In 2017, the number of call-outs rose to 108.
Rotorua's figures indicated an average of two call-outs a month in 2018.
Rotorua police area commander Inspector Anaru Pewhairangi said it was not possible to draw a correlation between one factor and a rise or fall in Armed Offender Squad call-outs.
"Police work to a prevention-first model, which focuses on pre-emptively preventing harm in our communities.
"The deployment of the Armed Offender Squad on pre-planned tasks is considered based on a risk assessment of each situation, and is done to ensure the safety of the community and our officers."
He said it was difficult to quantify what the most serious call-out would have been in 2018 but said an example from the end of 2017 would have been Rotorua's Armed Offender Squad involvement in the capture of Rollie Heke.
Rotorua's area commander, Inspector Anaru Pewhairangi, said there is not possible to draw a correlation between any one factor and a rise or fall in AOS call-outs. Photo / File
Pewhairangi said in general instances, events that the Armed Offender Squad were called to were serious as the members had specific training for prolonged or hostile situations.
However, in some situations members are used as a precaution for pre-planned operations where there is a high risk, for example helping other police with search warrants.
"The Armed Offender Squad provides police with the means of effectively and safely responding to and resolving situations involving an actual or threatened use of firearms against members of the public or police," Pewhairangi said.
"The basic methods of operating are to cordon, contain and appeal to armed offenders.
"These tactics are successful in the vast majority of incidents, which are resolved without the use of force."
Figures show twice a month the Armed Offenders Squad were deployed in Rotorua. Photo / File
What is the Armed Offenders Squad There are 17 Armed Offenders Squads made up of nearly 300 part-time members, covering all the country's main centres.
These squads were first established in 1964 after the fatal shooting of four police officers in incidents in Lower Hutt and Waitakere.
Members must qualify at a national selection and induction course and receive regular additional training in their districts.
They are part-time volunteer's, drawn from all branches of police and operate on a call-out basis.
