Māori justice advocates are seeking an urgent Tribunal hearing on the Police Armed Response Teams.
Special police patrol vehicles carrying armed officers have been patrolling Counties Manukau, Waikato and Canterbury as part of a six-month trial to cut down response times to serious incidents involving firearms.
But data released under the Official Information Act shows the teams were deployed 75 times a day in the first five weeks. That's 50 times the rate that Armed Offenders Squads were called out last year.
The application says the Crown has breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi by failing to work in partnership with, consult, or even inform Māori about the trial.
Julia Whaipooti is one of the claimants.
She speaks to Philippa Tolley.
