Legislation allowing serving police to seek office as local body politicians has been passed under urgency.
At present, a police constable, officer or superviser wanting to stand as a candidate must go on leave.
If elected, the staff member is deemed to have vacated his or her position within the police.
Police are the only public servants this restriction applies to.
The bill was supported by National, Labour, the Progressives, ACT and United Future.
Green MP Keith Locke told Parliament the restriction is based upon the democratic separation between lawmakers, the judiciary and the police.
He told Parliament that as the people who enforce the law, the police must not be in a position where they could face a conflict of interest.
