Northland, south Auckland, Waikato and central districts will be targeted by police in a new Tactical Response Model trial.
Last month the Government announced a $45 million investment in police, including $15.496 million for a new Tactical Response Model, an additional 78 constabulary staff and 28 intelligence analysts, and frontline training.
The Tactical Response Model will include Tactical Dog Teams and Tactical Prevention Teams with advanced training to undertake warrants and other work involving moderate risk. They will be "generally unarmed" unless specific deployment requires it.
"I want to be clear - the new Tactical Response Model is not Armed Response Teams," Police Minister Poto Williams said at the time, referring to the controversial model trialled and discontinued last year.
"These officers will wear standard police uniforms, drive standard police vehicles, and will not be armed in their day-to-day duties. They will support frontline investigation and prevention teams and will focus on high-risk offenders, firearms, methamphetamine, and organised crime groups."
In an update on Wednesday, Williams said police held 570 engagement sessions in communities across the country with iwi, Pacific and ethnic communities, as well as all other agencies, to get feedback on the Tactical Response Model.
"As Police Minister, I am committed to ensuring police have the people, resources, and legislation they need to keep themselves and our communities safe," Williams said.
"That's why we provided this funding to accelerate the new Tactical Response Model, to increase the training and capability of frontline staff."
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said 85 workshops were held with more than 1250 police staff about their experiences and ideas to improve safety. He said the feedback on the new model was largely positive.
"Having considered the latest feedback on the Tactical Response Model proposal, I am pleased to announce that from late November we will start trials in the community," Coster said.
"Northland and central police districts will be testing a full version of the model. This means they will trial all components including training, access to specialist capability for dog handlers and Tactical Prevention Teams, and risk-based deployment and technology.
"Counties Manukau and Waikato will test training, Tactical Prevention Teams, and risk-based deployment and technology."
Police Association president Chris Cahill has previously said the model "falls short of the overwhelming call from our members for general arming", but he's willing to see how it goes.
"We are prepared to give this tactical response model an opportunity to deliver what our members so clearly need to police safely without the need for general arming," he said last month.
"It's a big ask, but all indications are that police and the Government are serious about a viable alternative between the status quo and an armed police service."
The police workforce is larger than it has ever been, surpassing 14,000.
Operation Tauwhiro has resulted in 1091 firearms seized, $5.5 million in cash seized, and 940 people arrested in relation to firearms offences.
Police have seized over $500 million in cash and assets from gangs and criminals in four years alone. That's the equivalent of $1.6 billion removed from the illicit economy.
