“The shooting incident in West Auckland is just the latest in a string of firearms offences, shootings and gang-related aggression spiraling out of control across the country,” says Darroch Ball Leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“This should not become the new normal for New Zealand.”

“Police need to be armed immediately across the country for basic safety and protection of our communities and themselves.”

“Without being armed they simply cannot do their job in the face of escalating firearm violence in our communities.”

“We can no longer ignore the danger with the thin-blue-line becoming more and more vulnerable in the face of ballooning numbers of shootings.”

“We can no longer continue down this ‘soft on crime’ politically-driven approach to gangs and guns.”

“We must arm our officers before it is too late. We cannot continue to carry on down the same old narrative that nothing is done until a tragedy occurs,” says Mr Ball.

“It is simply inevitable that if we continue to do nothing, and police are not armed, our officers will continue to be shot at and killed.”

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