Two hundred more police officers will be trained to the same level as the Armed Offenders Squad -- but they won't always carry firearms when they're sent out on a job.
The government has announced $45 million will go toward better tactical training and intelligence.
The police commissioner Andrew Coster says it is in response to increasing violence against officers.
RNZ reporter Ruth Hill is at the police college in Porirua, and talks to Māni Dunlop about the announcement.