Police safety orders (PSOs) were introduced by the Domestic Violence Amendment Act 2009 and provided the New Zealand Police with the power to issue and serve PSOs from 1 July 2010. This followed the introduction of similar orders in other jurisdictions, including Australia.
PSOs are a significant development in the law relating to family violence, premised on early intervention and protection for victims of family violence. PSOs enable the Police to provide immediate protection to victims of family violence.
In October 2010, the New Zealand Police commissioned the Crime and Justice Research Centre to carry out a formative evaluation to understand the implementation of PSOs and to inform the policy and practices surrounding their use.