New Zealand Police Commissioner Howard Broad is currently reviewing a proposal to have locked boxes with firearms in every police patrol car.
If the proposal is adopted, 80 Bay of Plenty police vehicles could carry up to two pistols and two rifles to better protect officers.
Most people surveyed by The Daily Post yesterday thought having firearms in all police cars was a necessary precaution.
"It's better protection for them as they are getting hurt and they're only trying to help us," Taylor Reiri said.
Glenholme resident Darren Burborough agreed.
"I support the idea - it's pretty much needed just for a quick response."
He had a neighbour who had been the victim of a home invasion. Police arrived while the offenders were still in the house.
Had the situation become dangerous, the victims could have been quickly protected if police had access to firearms in all patrol cars, Mr Burborough said.
Nick Birdsall, of Lynmore, said stringent protocols would be needed before the proposal was introduced.
"I think there should be clear guidelines on when and where they should use them. Provided it's clearly governed, I have no qualms."
The proposal does not meet with Kharl Wirepa's approval.
"No, they can go into a bit of a power trip with [firearms] and it can become dangerous like in other countries," he said.
The issue was widely debated at the annual Police Association conference in Wellington this week. Most association members endorsed a motion to support having firearms in patrol cars.
Waikato Bay of Plenty police association regional director Mel Ridley said there was a "clear need" for the new measure. It had become "a very unfortunate necessity" to have firearms available to police officers, particularly on the frontline, he said.
"Unfortunately it has become necessary. It's not something you ever enjoy doing - I personally don't want to be carrying a firearm.
"It's a matter of safety because of the criminals we are dealing with in the current environment."
Mr Ridley said the lock boxes were the next step in police protection after initiatives such as pepper spray, bullet-proof vests and Tasers.
April figures show 641 police cars have gun safes, but these do not always carry firearms.
A lock box could carry two pistols and two rifles.
Police minister Judith Collins said lock boxes could be in place within a few months.
"One option [Commissioner Broad] is likely to consider is lock boxes for pistols in the front of police vehicles," Ms Collins told the Police Association conference.
"I'd be happy to support that. However, what I wouldn't support is officers wearing guns at schools, in malls or where they have a lot of contact with the community."
She later said she supported giving police officers the discretionary powers they needed to use the guns as necessary.
"It's important to get that right because just having guns locked in cars isn't necessarily going to make any officer any safer."
She said she would reserve judgment until she had seen the policy details.
Nine police officers have been shot in the past two years, two fatally.
Human rights advocates have criticised arming more police cars, saying it would make confrontations riskier, not safer.
Police figures from April show that 641 police vehicles can carry firearms, including pistol-only safes in dog handlers' vehicles, combined pistol and rifle safes in general-duties cars, bulk rifle and pistol safes in sergeants' vehicles and safes in rural officers' cars.
In Auckland City, two sergeants' cars permanently carry rifles and pistols.
In the two years to the end of December, firearms were issued 194 times - an average of almost twice a week.
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