Police Commissioner Howard Broad says two attacks on police officers on Boxing Day have not changed his approach to arming officers.
The first incident was at Matauri Bay in Northland early on Boxing Day. Two young men are charged with assault.
The other incident was in Hamilton at 5pm that day, when a policeman was attacked with a machete and a knife. Charges of attempted murder have been laid against two teenagers.
Commissioner Broad says the number of attacks on police is not increasing, but their seriousness is getting worse. However, he told Summer Report he still believes having guns in a locked box in police cars is the right move.
He also said overseas technology that makes it much harder for a police officer's gun to be taken and used against them is being examined.
Previous case
On 11 December, a police constable sustained serious skull and facial wounds in a machete attack when he stopped a stolen car near Taihape.
Two teenagers are accused of attempting to murder Constable Bruce Mellor, 57.
Comment by Commissioner
Police Commissioner Howard Broad says the seriousness of assaults on police officers is increasing, but the number of attacks is flat-lining.
He told Summer Report there is a good system in place for tracking attacks on the police and the attacks have not changed his approach to arming the police.
He still believes guns in a locked box in police cars is the right move.
