People are invited to have a glimpse into the world of modern policing on Saturday at events being held in Tauranga and Rotorua as part of the first ever New Zealand Police National Open Day.
Staff from across all 12 police districts plus the Royal NZ Police College are taking part in "Come and Discover NZ Police" - giving people the opportunity to gain an understanding of what a modern police service looks like.
At Tauranga police station on Monmouth Street will run from 10am to 1pm and culminates with a demonstration by the Armed Offenders Squad and police dogs.
There will be no tour of the station but visitors will be able to tour the cell block.
District Commander for Bay of Plenty Superintendent Glenn Dunbier said: "Tauranga's building is . . . relatively new, so the national event is a timely opportunity to show how police stations are not the fortresses of old, they are now community buildings where a whole host of people from different walks of life gather to discuss, debate and create ways to keep our everyone safe."
"We are also very aware that the first contact with the police for most people is during times of stress or trauma.
"This event provides a chance to meet some of our staff in an informal, stress-free environment and see some of the modern tools and techniques that we now use and the work we are doing to prevent crime and to reduce offending and victimisation."
People can also engage with NZ Police online, learn about the range of work Police is involved in and find information about Open Day events taking place around the country via www.police.govt.nz/openday.
The public are asked to bear in mind that both Tauranga and Rotorua police stations will remain operational on the day and elements of the open day may be subject to change in the event of an emergency or significant incident.