A new purpose-built training facility, designed by the frontline for the frontline, has been officially opened at the Royal New Zealand Police College last week.

Scenario Village — a realistic training facility consisting of three different full-scale home environments — is a key pillar of the Frontline Safety Improvement Programme (FSIP) and Tactical Response Model (TRM).

Following the murder of Constable Matthew Hunt during a traffic stop in Massey, Auckland in 2020, FSIP was established to enhance the safety of frontline staff as they undertake the day-to-day challenges of an increasingly complex operational environment.

The opening ceremony was attended by Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, some of the staff central to designing and developing the facility, and well as community leaders.

Commissioner Coster says Scenario Village represents Police’s commitment to frontline safety.

“Its mission is clear, ensuring the frontline is safer by making sure they are trained, equipped, supported and recognised for the value they provide in keeping our homes, roads and communities safe.

“A lot of work has gone into the design and development of Scenario Village to ensure it is as realistic as possible, the houses are fully furnished and staged as if they are lived in,” he says.

Although they look like normal homes, some features have been strengthened to ensure they can withstand robust training exercises for years to come.

The walls are made of painted plywood and the windows and doors are made with Perspex instead of glass. There are also specially developed breachable doors and windows to enhance the training experience for our specialised squads. 

“Every day we ask our officers to go into environments that are unpredictable and ever changing. They do this with courage and professionalism to ensure our communities are safe,” Commissioner Coster says.

“It is our job to ensure they have the training and tools they need to keep themselves safe, which is why the work of the Frontline Safety Improvement Programme is so important.”

Funded as part of an investment in TRM, the Village was designed in consultation with frontline staff and is available for training immediately.

Under TRM, tactical training for frontline staff has more than doubled, focussed on appropriate decision-making under cognitive load and proportional tactical responses, including de-escalation and tactical communication.