1904 – Fingerprints introduced. E. W. Dinnie, son of a former Commissioner of Police, studied in England and took over this work in New Zealand with the rank of senior sergeant. He remained in charge of the fingerprint branch for 42 years.

1938 – Patrol car system began, at first in Auckland and later in Wellington. It is now in use throughout New Zealand.

1946 – One-way radio introduced.

1948 – Two-way radio introduced at Christchurch. This was of great value and was soon being used in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin. It has been one of the great advances in detecting and preventing crime and is now in use in New Zealand in all but one police district.

1956 – New Zealand's first police-dog section established at Trentham, Wellington.

1958 – Two-frequency radio introduced in Wellington. Teleprinter service introduced into the North Island on a permanent basis – Auckland-Wellington, Auckland-Hamilton, and Wellington-Palmerston North. All districts in both Islands have since been connected.

1963 – Reorganisation and modernising of national headquarters administration, including the streamlining of criminal records through the introduction of a criminal records bureau.

by Lloyd Ward Reid, Public Relations Officer, Police Department, Wellington.