Police Commissioner Howard Broad today said he was comfortable that if police felt they needed weapons when attending callouts, then they should have them.
Dog-handler Senior Constable Bruce Lamb, 51, was shot in the jaw and 39-year-old Constable Mitchel Alatalo was shot in the upper thigh during a routine inquiry at a house in Buccleugh St, Phillipstown, in Christchurch.
A six-year-old police dog, Gage, was shot dead.
The wounded officers managed to escape and call for back up, and the armed offenders squad arrested a 34-year-old man.
Two weapons were found on the property, a .22 rifle and a .308 rifle.
Police Association president Greg O'Connor told NZPA today's shooting - the ninth police shooting in two years - showed the current policy on police firearms use was not working.
Frontline officers needed greater access to firearms to protect themselves, and there had been discussions on the issue for some time, he said.
"The time for talking has stopped. We're now at nine police officers shot in two years ... It's unacceptable," he said.
"Whatever we're doing now is not working, so certainly we're going to have more people on the frontline armed."
Mr Broad said the force's policy was under review, with a report due soon.
An updated policy would be on its way to implementation by Christmas, he said.
"We're looking at a situation where those weapons will be available to officers on frontline duty with their vehicles, they're held in secure facilities but available to them should they feel the need."
Police Minister Judith Collins said she was happy for Mr Broad "to come up with some plans as to what can be done".
The review came after police introduced a controversial plan last year, which would have reduced the number of officers receiving firearms training.
The plan would see just two out of five officers able to use firearms - 30 percent would have been trained in using the Bushmaster .223 rifle, but not the 9mm Glock pistol.
But police put the plan on hold in May, saying further work was needed before it could go ahead.
