Twenty officers in the Wellington district are being trained to use the new X2 stun guns, which police are evaluating as a replacement for the current X26 model.
The double-shot stun guns can fire a second charge without having to reload, unlike the older model, which need to be manually reloaded after each charge is fired.
They deliver a charge in exactly the same way, through two small prongs which attach to a suspect's body or clothing.
Police national operations manager Superintendent Barry Taylor said the X2 had some important benefits which police wanted to evaluate during the six-month trial - including an improved high-definition colour camera and a more advanced built-in computer.
Mr Taylor said two of the new stun guns would be available to 20 trained officers at all times throughout the trial.
"Assuming the evaluation is successful, the advantage of the X2 is that it would not only provide greater certainty and security for police staff when they confront violent and dangerous offenders, but would also help improve public safety by giving police added capacity to de-escalate high risk situations, including those involving more than one offender."
Mr Taylor said officers involved in the trial would also be issued with body cameras, to be worn on their clothing or glasses.
The officer-operated cameras would give an additional perspective to the built-in cameras on the stun guns, which operate automatically when a cartridge is fired.
Police have used Taser stun guns more than 1500 times since they were rolled out nationally in March 2010.
"There's no question that the introduction of the Taser has been a highly successful tool in minimising risk and maximising safety for all involved," Mr Taylor said.
