Strong Police Engagement A Crucial Security Service

As New Zealand’s leading security company we maintain an excellent relationship with police. Our police engagement is crucial for helping prevent crime and also for protecting the public’s safety and our frontline people.

Working with the police involves crime-related communication, information sharing and knowing we can count on rapid support from police personnel when required. That’s because they know our security professionals are trained when to escalate issues to the police, so provide valuable information and don’t waste their time.

Our police engagement can range from being contracted to guard crime scenes to help preserve evidence, through to reporting crime and anti-social behaviour as it happens.

Sometimes the interactions are less formal and designed to build relationships. For example, earlier this year members of our Manukau-based frontline team had the opportunity to meet with police, Auckland Transport, Manukau Heart of the South and wider community members to share concerns and collaborate on strategies to enhance community safety. The “Coffee with a Cop” event was a great success, and enabled attendees to understand each other’s perspectives and work more strongly together to create safer public environments.

Sometimes the police will also give special training to our security guards and patrol officers. One example was a training session with the NZ Police Dog Division.

The session educated Armourguard’s frontline people on how to safely and effectively interact with police dog handlers and their dogs, also how to preserve a scene so a police dog can effectively pick up a scent without contaminating the scene.  The Minister of Police has publicly commented on the strong mutual respect and relationship between NZ Police and Armourguard, and this training session was an example of that constructive relationship in action.

Police Engagement success stories

Here are some of the many police engagement examples and ways our people have helped the police:

Preventing armed conflict: One of our security teams noticed cars parking in unusual locations in a hospital client’s car park and 6-7 people moving back & forth between them, with one loading and cocking a sawn-off shotgun and putting it in a backpack. Some donned clothing and insignia associated with a local gang before putting on full face balaclavas and gloves. Our supervisor immediately called 111, requested police assistance and kept a running commentary while the police were on their way. He also notified key personnel at the client site. 

Armed police quickly arrived and detained all gang members in the car park, making several arrests and recovering the firearm.   

After calling the police, the security team leader directed the other team members to keep all of the client’s staff, customers and other members of the public staff, patients, and visitors away from the area of the police operation until it was concluded.

Breaking up a bus station brawl: Armourguard Security guards encountered two groups of armed teenagers having an altercation at an Auckland bus station. They immediately contacted CCTV operators to monitor the incident before calling the police. Within a matter of minutes the police arrived and took both groups into custody.

Life-saving: During the course of one shift, a Palmerston North security guard supported police to save the lives of two suicidal people. He quickly informed police after encountering each person and helped to keep the distressed people calm until police arrived and were able to negotiate them to safety.

Burglary prevention: A burglary at a North Island food outlet was prevented thanks to one of our security officers noticing three youths acting suspiciously nearby. The information they provided police resulted in the police catching the burglars in the act and detaining them.