"They're just loving it and asking lots of questions like 'How do you become a police officer?' 'Do you like being a police officer?' and 'Can you put the handcuffs on me?' " he said.
The nationwide open day was about engaging with the community and humanising the police, he said.
He hoped it would become an annual event and said he would be keen to be involved again.
The day was wrapped up by a scenario played out by the armed offenders squad with an officer dressed in a protective suit being tackled to the ground by a police dog.
There was a lot of cheering from the crowd.
District Commander for Bay of Plenty, Superintendent Glenn Dunbier said the Tauranga building was relatively new, so the national event was a timely opportunity to show how police stations were not the fortresses of old any more.
"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 everyone safe," he said.
"We are also very aware that the first contact with 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 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."
