A number of homicides in recent weeks have kept police even busier than usual, says New Zealand's top police officer.

And Commissioner Mike Bush wants to 'acknowledge the extra hard work our people are putting in”.

New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush is praising his staff for the hard work put in for solving a number of murder investigations this week.

He says the quick action by East Coast staff led to the arrest of two suspects after a man was fatally shot in a gang-related incident last week.

'Staff in eastern Waikato made an arrest this week in relation to the February 3 death of a British national in Whangamata,” says Mike.

'Hamilton staff have made two arrests in their investigation into the fatal shooting of a father of three on Friday and a large number of staff in Wellington are working very hard on six active homicide investigations in their district.”

Mike says the safety of the public and the needs of victims and their loved ones are their top priorities.

'I'd like to thank all staff involved in these investigations and those working on serious offences in other parts of the country for their extra efforts during this busy time,” he adds.

'I was also very impressed by the actions of Constables Jeffrey Brown and Jameson Asekona, who saved a man from a burning house on Tuesday.”

The Glen Innes officers spotted smoke coming from the house and when they went to investigate after calling the Fire Service, they found a disoriented man inside.

After helping him out, they returned to the house - which was well ablaze - to make sure no-one else was in danger.

'Had it not been for their bravery and alertness, this incident could have had a tragic outcome,” says Mike.

'The actions of a member of the public who tried to put out the fire with a hose also deserves praise.”