Family members and police have honoured four officers and a civilian whose deaths 50 years ago at the hands of lone gunmen were the catalyst for sweeping changes to police tactics.
Detective Inspector Wallace Chalmers, Detective Sergeant Neville Power and James Berry were killed by a lone gunman at Waitakere on 6 January 1963.
Constable Bryan Schultz and Constable James Richardson were killed by an armed man in Lower Hutt less than a month later.
The incidents led to a review of police handling of armed offender incidents and the creation of the specialist Armed Offenders Squad (AOS).
Three of the men's widows and other family members attended a service at the Police College in Porirua on Friday.
Deputy Police Commissioner Viv Rickard said it was important to mark the sacrifice made by the five men.
Mr Rickard said the incidents had led to the formation of the AOS which had unquestionably saved many other lives.
A smaller service for the Lower Hutt officers took place at that police station on Friday morning.
