Seven offenders in Rotorua have come seconds away from being Tasered before complying with police demands.
Figures released for the first six months of the year show Tasers were drawn nine times in Rotorua.
Police discharged one Taser, seven people were laser painted - the final step before the Taser is deployed. One person complied with police when the Taser was drawn.
From January 1 to June 30 there were 552 cases where Tasers were shown or discharged across New Zealand. Of these, 59 were in the Bay of Plenty police district. Tasers represented 21 per cent of tactical options used nationally. Other tactical options include handcuffs, pepper spray and firearms.
Nationally, tasers were used most on men aged 30 and younger. According to the national figures the majority of Taser deployments involved those who were impaired by alcohol and/or other drugs. Mental illness and suicidal behaviours were also common issues.