New Zealand police officers will continue on general rounds without guns after huge community pushback on a trial of armed units.
The six-month trial was organised in response to last year's Christchurch shootings, in which Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant killed 51 worshipers at two mosques.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says feedback from the public has made it "clear to me that these response teams do not align with the style of policing that New Zealanders expect".
"I have made the decision these teams will not be a part of our policing model in the future," he said on Tuesday.
NZ Police trialled Armed response teams for six months in response to last year's Christchurch mosque shootings Source: AAP
The decision comes after the police killing of African American man George Floyd in the US last month, which has sparked worldwide protests and conversations around policing and racism.
New Zealand's armed response teams trial took place in three regions (Manukau in South Auckland, Waikato and Canterbury) that were selected for their high rates of firearm offences as well as their above-average populations of Maori and Pasifika people.
Advocacy group Arms Down NZ, which ran a campaign gathering tens of thousands of voices in opposition to the trial, issued a statement saying "Thank you all for joining arms (pun intended) with us to disarm the police".
"This is a huge step toward preventing further harm, but we're committed to pushing for an Aotearoa free of police and the violence they cause."
Police Association president Chris Cahill said the trial was "hobbled from the start" because of a lack of consultation.
"If you don't build solid foundations on issues as potentially volatile as armed police, you can't possibly hope to take the community with you, and that is exactly what has happened in this case," he said.
