Police armed with semi-automatic rifles were at the Dunedin Town Hall event showing coverage of the Christchurch Remembrance Service yesterday.
Similarly, armed officers have been present at most Dunedin events related to the attacks, including vigils and remembrance ceremonies.
During a practice for the New Zealand pipe band championships at the North Ground on Thursday, a man was present with what appeared to be a sniffer dog.
Police declined to comment on the deployment.
Safety concerns have even made their way to the arts.
Dunedin Fringe Festival director Gareth McMillan said for shows at the Regent Theatre, security was ramped up, including metal detectors and bag checks in the lobby.
"We also talked to police before the festival to let them know what we're doing. Mainly we're trying to focus the Fringe on positivity and use art to help people to heal."
SPS Security director Danny Taimalie said clients for his Dunedin-based business had been exercising extra caution since the Christchurch attacks.
"You can see events now which have increased security by at least 50%, or instead of having two guards, they have six."
Security staff had tripled at some sporting events, with extra guards checking bags and looking after the teams.
"Now there is caution in the air about the levels of security and what their main roles are."
His company was looking even more closely at its evacuation processes because of the attacks.
He had about a 25% increase in security guards requested in the past couple of weeks.
"But I don't really want to think of financial gain from a tragedy like that."
A police spokesman said he was not able to talk in detail about deployments by emergency services and partners for operational reasons.
"But police will continue to be visible in our communities and at public events. It is important that people are able to go about their daily lives, but we should continue to be vigilant."
Prof Kevin Clements, founder of the University of Otago's National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, said it could be concerning if the increased armed police and security presence lasted much longer.
"If it's more than a few weeks then it starts to get a bit worrisome, and there's a responsibility for the Government to explain why.
"I don't think there's a particular need for every police officer in Dunedin to be armed at the moment, for example. I think that's a slight overreaction to any potential threat in Dunedin."
The challenge was whether to respond to the attack "with increased intrusion and surveillance".
"Or should we respond with a degree of realistic openness and carry on with business as normal?"
