Back Polizei (Neuseeland) German Policía de Nueva Zelanda Spanish New Zealand Police NB Policia e Zelandës së Re Albanian ตำรวจนิวซีแลนด์ Thai Поліція Нової Зеландії Ukrainian
| New Zealand Police Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa (Māori) | |
|---|---|
 NZP Logo | |
 NZP Constable Badge | |
 Flag of the New Zealand Police | |
| Abbreviation | NZP |
| Motto | Safer Communities Together |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1886[n 1] |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Employees | 15,700 (30 June 2024)[2] |
| Annual budget | $2,720,956 NZD
Total budget for 2023/2024[2] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | New Zealand |
| Operations jurisdiction | New Zealand |
| Governing body | New Zealand Government |
| Constituting instrument | |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Overseen by | Independent Police Conduct Authority |
| Headquarters | 180 Molesworth Street, Wellington 6011 |
| 41°16′24″S 174°46′42″E / 41.2734°S 174.7782°E | |
| Sworn officers | 10,139 [3] |
| Non-sworn members | 4,658[4] |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
|
| Services | 31
|
| Districts | 12
|
| Facilities | |
| Stations | 324 |
| Vehicles | 3,700 |
| Specialist vehicles | 555 |
| Boats | 2 |
| Helicopters | 3 |
| Website | |
| www | |
The New Zealand Police (Māori: Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa)[n 2] is the national police service and principal law enforcement agency of New Zealand, responsible for preventing crime, enhancing public safety, bringing offenders to justice, and maintaining public order. With over 15,000 personnel,[6] it is the largest law enforcement agency in New Zealand and, with few exceptions, has primary jurisdiction over the majority of New Zealand criminal law. The New Zealand Police also has responsibility for traffic and commercial vehicle enforcement as well as other key responsibilities including protection of dignitaries, firearms licensing, and matters of national security.
Policing in New Zealand was introduced in 1840, modelled on similar constabularies that existed in Britain at that time. The constabulary was initially part police and part militia. By the end of the 19th century policing by consent was the goal and since the change the New Zealand Police has generally enjoyed a reputation for mild policing, but there have been cases when the use of force was criticised, such as during the 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States. New Zealand is one of only 19 countries with a 'generally unarmed' police service. New Zealand Police officers don't routinely carrying firearms, instead having access to firearms in their vehicles.[7]
The current minister of police is Mark Mitchell. While the New Zealand Police is a government department with a minister responsible for it, the commissioner and sworn members swear allegiance directly to the sovereign and, by convention, have constabulary independence from the government of the day.
The New Zealand Police is perceived to have a minimal level of institutional corruption, though it has been involved in a variety of controversies over it's long history.[8][9]
Cite error: There are <ref group=n> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=n}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Hill, Richard (2012). "Police". TeAra.govt.nz - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Government.
- ^ a b "Annual Report 2023-2024" (PDF). New Zealand Police. May 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 February 2025.
- ^ |url=https://www.policeassn.org.nz/fileadmin/Documents/Police_News_PDF/Police-News-Jan-Feb-2025-WEB.pdf
- ^ "Annual Report 2022-2023" (PDF). New Zealand Police. May 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 June 2024.
- ^ "pirihimana: police officer". kupu.maori.nz. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "New Zealand Police overview". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ Donovan, Emile (11 August 2021). "The Detail: The pros and cons of arming police". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
- ^ "2016 Corruption Perceptions Index" (PDF). Transparency International New Zealand. 25 January 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ Quah, Jon S. T. (2013). Different Paths to Curbing Corruption: Lessons from Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 116. ISBN 9781781907313. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2017.