FAQ about New Zealand Police overseas
Frequently asked questions
- Where is New Zealand Police currently deployed?
- Why are New Zealand Police deployed to these particular places?
- What does New Zealand Police do overseas?
- How many staff are currently deployed overseas?
- How long are New Zealand Police officers deployed for?
- What are the new security measures for carry-on luggage?
1. Where is New Zealand Police currently deployed?
Operations; Afghanistan, Bougainville Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Tonga.
Liaison posts; Bangkok, Beijing, Canberra, Jakarta, London, Sydney, Suva and Washington DC.
International secondment roles; Niue, Solomon Islands and Hawaii..
2. Why are New Zealand Police deployed to these particular places?
New Zealand police are deployed overseas as part of New Zealand's foreign policy which has an overarching commitment to being a good international citizen and reducing global terrorism.
Most of the short-term deployments the New Zealand Police undertake are commissioned and funded by the Government's international aid and development agency NZAID. The agency has a Pacific focus that is aligned with the Government's responsibility to be a good neighbour.
Other long-term operations, such as Operation Tuiatuia in the Solomons are funded as part of the police budget.
3. What does New Zealand Police do overseas?
The New Zealand Police undertake a variety of roles in offshore deployments, these include:
- natural-disaster responses (e,g Thailand, Phuket)
- investigative support
- post-conflict capacity building (e.g Afghanistan)
- advisory, mentoring and broader capability development roles (e.g Afghanistan, Solomons)
- consular support (Police liaison officers)
The officers have a wide-degree of skills and all have a minimum of three years experience as operational police officers in New Zealand. The New Zealand Police officers currently deployed offshore have a broad range of skills including:
- police management skills
- intelligence skills
- investigative abilities
- general duties operational skills
Non-sworn staff work in administrative, communications centre or intelligence roles when deployed overseas.
4. How many staff are currently deployed overseas?
There are approximately 80 officers currently deployed overseas in a variety of roles. The majority of offshore staff work on deployments, however there are several officers working in overseas roles gathering intelligence in liaison posts (one person per post except Jakarta, which has two). As well as supplying police for specific operations and employing staff in offshore liaison roles, NZ police staff work in a variety of international secondment roles.
5. How long are New Zealand Police officers deployed for?
The length of time spent on an operation depends on the specific nature of the posting. Liaison officers commonly take up posts from between 2-3 years, while officers assigned to a specific overseas operation will be deployed on a 6 month rotation roster.