The chaotic scenes that unfolded on the grounds of Parliament in early 2022 serve as a stark reminder of the evolving challenges facing law enforcement when it comes to public order policing.

As protesters occupied the parliamentary precinct for 23 days, police were forced to contend with increasingly volatile and unpredictable situations. On March 2, officers involved in Operation Convoy faced substantial violence, however, they were praised for their restraint and professionalism under extreme provocation.

The mammoth investigation into the actions of police during the demonstration-turned-riot found almost all were justified and the public was well served. However, issues around planning, training and protective equipment for officers stood out in the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report.

“Training needs to be reassessed, it needs to be widened and more protective gear needs to be purchased [urgently],” IPCA chairman Judge Colin Doherty said when releasing the report in April 2023. “Over 150 police officers suffered injuries in the conflict, some of these serious and long-term.”

The IPCA’s 14 recommendations to Police included: Officers wear more body armour; develop detailed criteria for using protective equipment, batons, protective spray, and other tactical options; and review police policies including training requirements, health and safety and command and control structure.

The findings highlighted the need for a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to public order policing (POP), prompting Police to evaluate its existing capabilities and training.

POP capability manager Inspector Paul Wiszniewski and national POP capability co-ordinator Senior Sergeant Cam Browne are the eagle eyes scrutinising where Police is at, getting it to where it should be, and outlining where it could go.

Their focus is on delivering a programme that builds and maintains POP capability in all districts while being mindful of the budget constraints that Police faces.

POP, from the top

Lack of money is not news to Police Association members. However, as far as POP goes, things might change under new Police Commissioner Richard Chambers.

He believes public order challenges are only going to increase and that Police “cannot afford to be complacent”.

The commissioner has worked offshore for the past 12 months with Interpol and has seen the way that different police jurisdictions position themselves to deal with public order. There is a wide and varied approach to those challenges, which, frankly, are only going to grow, he says.

“In terms of public order policing [here]… what came out of Convoy was a range of recommendations that need to have a programme of work wrapped around it. I know there has been, but we cannot afford to be in a position where we are found wanting, because public order is something that is not going to go away any time soon, and we need to be ready to go.

“What I want to ensure is that the work continues to train, prepare, deploy, and equip our staff to deal with public order situations even better, every time. I’ve been to training run in Waiouru twice in 2023… We’ve spent a lot of time and money [on] how we can do it better, and that’s got to continue.

“New Zealand Police is incredibly professional. We work really well together as a team, and that was seen in Convoy because of the national controller. And there’s a tremendous amount to be proud of.”

On the march

Meanwhile, Paul and Cam, along with available POP experts and a cadre of passionate instructors battle on with their mission to advance a fit-for-purpose public order capability.

That determination to strengthen Police’s capability is to ensure officers are safe, better prepared and resourced for when, not if, something unpredictable arises. Progress has been made, including buying 200 new sets of public order personal protective equipment (PPE) that is stored in a centralised warehouse. It is primarily a surge capability to support trained staff being deployed to large public order events, Paul says. It will also bolster district-held protective gear.

The IPCA put a spotlight especially on the lack of sufficient PPE, and the association believes there still is more work to be done in that area.

“The crucial component to Police’s preparedness is not only having sufficient equipment but also having sufficient numbers of staff trained to the required level across the country,” says Paul.

Public order training will enable police to work side by side with trust and confidence in each other and it also provides reassurance that, when multiple districts need to come together, they have the same skill level to do so effectively.

A solid foundation

National public order capability training begins with the foundation course, which was designed and built in response to the challenges unmasked by Op Convoy.

It addresses any variance in skills and experience to create a level playing field, and a standardised approach to training provides continuity and capability and leads to certification.

Paul describes the three-day course’s philosophy as “crawl, walk, run”. It develops POP skills over three days building up to a test on what has been learnt so far through practical scenarios. Staff are put through their paces in a realistic but safe environment.

Newly certified officers leave with a solid theory and skill base covering critical areas such as legislation, policy, formations, tactics and commands.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, Paul says, with “up to 98% saying how great the course was”.

Many trainees praised the confidence and trust they gained and they also emphasised the value of interoperability between districts and the practical tools gained from the programme.

“I can’t underplay the value that these courses have for the individuals, and that’s not my words, it’s their words,” Paul says.

Despite some of the obstacles the POP team faces, Paul’s optimism remains high.

While “it is definitely crawl, walk, run for us as well”, he says, he is confident Police’s public order policing capability will continue to build, “which will keep our people and the public we serve safe”.