TheDignitary Protection Service (DPS), previously theDiplomatic Protection Service, is a branch of theNew Zealand Police that providespersonal security for both national and visiting diplomats andVIPs. National VIPs that receive constant protection are theprime minister and thegovernor-general, whileministers, members of Parliament, the judiciary and theleader of the Opposition receive protection as needed.[1] Protection is provided both inNew Zealand and abroad. Previous visiting VIPs afforded DPS protection have includedTiger Woods during the 2002New Zealand Open,[2] and FBI DirectorRobert Mueller.[3] The DPS also patrols foreign embassies, consulates and high commissions.
The squad is based in the capitalWellington, where the majority of foreign diplomatic missions are. Officers are experienced members of the New Zealand Police, who pass the DPS course at theRoyal New Zealand Police College. The course has training on topics such asdiplomatic immunity and unarmed combat. Squad members usually operate in plain clothes,[4] and both genders can be squad members.[5]
The New Zealand Police established the DPS in the mid-1970s, to meet New Zealand's obligations under the Vienna Convention onDiplomatic Relations andConsular Relations.
The DPS routinely carry firearms, in contrast to the regular police which generally do not.[6] A 1993 report for the U.S. World Factbook of Criminal Justice Systems stated DPS officers have access to semi-automatic pistols.[7]
The current DPS fleet mainly consists of unmarked Toyota Highlanders and previously used theHolden CaptivaSUV, which replaced the unmarked Holden sedans in use at the time.[8]
When the prime minister travels by road the DPS normally have a vehicle following behind, closer than is generally safe to prevent other vehicles getting in between.[8] The close proximity of the escort vehicle has caused a few minor nose-to-tail accidents, such as twice in six weeks during 2000, on 9 December 2005 when Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen's Crown car was rear ended and on 27 November 2024 when Prime Minster Christopher Luxon's Crown Car was also rear ended.[11][12][13][14]
2000 – Prime MinisterHelen Clark criticised the DPS handling of a state visit by Chinese PresidentJiang Zemin the previous year – the DPS sought to minimise the president's exposure to protesters and save the government any embarrassment, which Clark rebuked by saying it was not in the spirit of democracy.[18]
17 July 2004 – Helen Clark's motorcade travels at speeds of up to 172 km/h, to catch a flight atChristchurch after a flight fromTimaru was cancelled. The Timaru District Court acquitted a DPS officer of all six charges relating to dangerous driving,[19][20] and theIndependent Police Conduct Authority praised a subsequent review of the Dignitary Protection Squad standard operating procedures and urgent duty driving.[8][21][22]
13 April 2005 – A door blew open on a six-seater charter airplane carrying Prime Minister Helen Clark. DPS officers Constable John Burridge and Senior Constable Dave Reid spent fifteen minutes holding the door closed with the aid of a baton, until the plane landed safely.[23][24] Both officers later received Police silver merit awards for their actions.[25]
August 2007 – The DPS are involved in shutting down aboy racer website that contained death threats against MPClayton Cosgrove.[26]
2007 – Two breaches lead to a review of security at Helen Clark'sMount Eden home, after taggers were able to put graffiti on the house, and a man who had robbed a dairy was able to hide in the garden while changing his clothes.[27][28]
November 2008 – New Prime MinisterJohn Key's property inParnell,Auckland caused some security problems for the DPS due to the large size (2,340 m2), and the pricing and availability of accommodation for officers.[29]
February 2009 – OnWaitangi Day, Prime MinisterJohn Key is manhandled by a protester as he walks towards amarae after getting out of his car. The incident caused speculation about the efficiency of the DPS.[30]
June 2016 - A DPS officer accidentally left their Glock 17 in a publicly accessible bathroom in parliament. The DPS officer was heading to Wellington Airport only realising their mistake once they arrived. The DPS officer asked a colleague to return to parliament to retrieve the Glock 17. The colleague arrived just after a member of the public found the firearm. The Glock 17 was secured by the colleague after being left unattended for almost an hour and a half.[31]
December 2017 – Newly appointed Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern's Auckland property caused some security issues due to the small size of the property and because no close proximity accommodation has been sought yet, so the DPS rotated sittings in unmarked vehicles.[32]
