New Zealand Police

New Zealand Police Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa (Māori)
Logo of the New Zealand Police
Flag
Motto	Safer Communities Together
Agency overview
Formed	1842
Preceding agencies	1842 - 1886 known as the New Zealand Armed Constabulary or Armed Constabulary Force 1886 - 1958 known as the New Zealand Police Force
Employees	11,413 (30 June 2008)
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
National agency	New Zealand
Governing body	New Zealand Government
Constituting instruments	Police Act 1886 Police Act 1958 Policing Act 2008
General nature	Law enforcement Local civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Wellington, New Zealand
Sworn members	8,459 (30 June 2015)
Unsworn members	2,960 (30 June 2008)
Minister responsible	Paula Bennett, Minister of Police
Agency executive	Michael Bush, Commissioner of Police
Services	31 111 Emergency Armed Offenders Squad Beat and patrol Counter Terror Criminal investigation Diplomatic Protection Squad Dive Diversion Dogs Drugs E-Crime EM-Bail Ethnic Evaluation Financial Fingerprint Firearms Forensics Info4traders Interpol Licensing Maritime Missing persons Museum International Road Policing Search & rescue Statistics Tenders Vetting Youth education
Districts	12 Northland Waitematā Auckland City Counties Manukau Waikato Bay of Plenty Eastern Central Wellington Tasman Canterbury Southern
Facilities
Stations	400+
Website
http://www.police.govt.nz/

The New Zealand Police (Māori: Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa, literally The Policemen of New Zealand) is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand. With over 11,000 staff 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.

The current Minister of Police is Paula Bennett. 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 constitutional convention, have constabulary independence from the government of the day.

Policing in New Zealand started in 1840 with the arrival of six constables accompanying Lt. Governor Hobson's official landing party to form the colony of New Zealand. Early policing arrangements were along similar lines to the UK and British colonial police forces, in particular the Royal Irish Constabulary and the New South Wales Police Force. Many of its first officers had seen prior service in either Ireland or Australia. The early Force was initially part police and part militia.

At the outset, official establishment of sworn constables holding common law powers to arrest people was achieved by magistrates being given the power to swear them in via the Magistrates Ordinance of 1842. By 1846, the emerging organisation of a police force was recognised with the passage of the Armed Constabulary Ordinance. New Zealand's early police force continued to grow with the colony and was further enhanced with additional structure and rules with the passage of the first Police Act, the New Zealand Armed Constabulary Act of 1867. The Armed Constabulary took part in military actions against Māori opponents Riwha Titokowaru in Taranaki and Te Kooti in the central North Island in the dying stages of the New Zealand Wars.