Police first responders will be trained to use firearms while later responders will be trained to use batons and pepper spray under proposed changes, say police.
The plan was the result of a review of police training and was still under consideration, Assistant Commissioner of Operations Viv Rickard said.
First responders will be trained with the Glock pistol and Bushmaster rifle while second responders would be trained with the Bushmaster rifle and would focus on cordoning and containing a situation.
Other staff would be trained in other defensive tactics such as baton use and pepper spray.
The changes were aimed at ensuring response staff had more training, Mr Rickard said.
"Some police officers are in roles where they will not deal with critical incidents involving firearms.
"It makes sense for the training resource they would have received to be given to those actually dealing with those incidents."
About 40 percent of police operational staff would receive more training than now under the plan, Mr Rickard said.
Rural officers and staff at small stations in isolated areas would all be designated as first responders.
"Suggestions that the review was about cost cutting or mean untrained staff would be expected to deal with firearms incidents were incorrect," he said.
Police Minister Judith Collins said she didn't have anything to do with decisions on firearms training and that Police Commissioner Howard Broad made the choices about how best to use police resources.
"What they are concerned about is they've got rural officers, provincial officers and some metropolitan officers they would like to train more than they do now," she said.
"They don't believe one size fits all. I would think that obviously a rural officer would need better training."
The Police Association was upset about the plans.
"You never know when you are going to be required to take up arms to assist your follow officers," association president Greg O'Connor said.
According to the association, one in seven officers have been threatened with guns in the past year.
The Labour Party blamed the Government, saying it had forced the police to make savings, but Ms Collins denied that today.
Green Party MP Keith Locke said his party supported targeting police training which was a "practical approach".
