Police are scaling up firearms training and will create a new tactical response team in response to increasing violence against officers.
More police will have armed offender squad training following a $45 million Government investment in frontline officers' safety.
They will be rostered on to double-crew dog handler teams and bolster planned operations to arrest high-risk offenders and combat organised crime.
The Police Commissioner says the death of Constable Matthew Hunt was the driving force for a complete rethink of frontline safety.
But one police officer told Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills it's a good step but would likely not have saved Matthew.
He says were his life in danger he would want to be armed with a firearm.
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