A third of the victims in a recent spate of homicides have been children, a fact the Children's Commissioner calls "very concerning".
Since the start of September, police have been called to 15 homicides across the country.
Assistant Commissioner Corrie Parnell said the rise in violent crime was noticeable.
"We have seen an increase in serious violence offences, particularly over the last month. A number of those have been homicides. We've also had a number of serious stabbing incidents."
Of the 15 homicide victims, five have been children, troubling Children's Commissioner Jane Searle.
"It's always very concerning, when you have cases of violence like this, particularly as Children's Commissioner, I'm focused on those that involve children, and that is far too often the case.”
Parnell said there was “no rhyme nor pattern to why homicide occurs".
“Sometimes they'll come in waves or quick succession as has been the case in recent weeks,” he said.
Overall, there have been fewer homicide victims so far this year.
The figures currently sit at 54 for this year, compared to 73 this time last year.
Parnell said most of the recent incidents "occurred within a family context".
Searle said it had been "a problem for a long time in New Zealand".
"We know that our rates of family harm have been too high and often it affects those most vulnerable and that is normally children in those homes," she said.
For first responders attending the recent homicides, police said the scenes can be "extremely confronting" – even more so when they involve the death or serious harm of young children.
Coincidentally, the Police Association gathered for its annual conference on Thursday, with resilience for officers as a key focus.
Police Association President Steve Watt noted: "They have seen things that will haunt them forever, at times these accounts were overwhelming in that they expose the ordinary reality of them."
Parnell added: "The profound effect of particularly the children deaths, they are enduring for the mental health and well-being of our people, we are acutely mindful of that."
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