Who will be New Zealand’s next top cop? The two contestants are: Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming (left) and Deputy Commissioner Richard Chambers.
Photo: Collage/ RNZ

The race for the next police chief has narrowed, with just two names still being considered for the top job: Deputy Commissioner Richard Chambers and Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

RNZ understands the pair are currently in the thick of interviews as the Public Service Commission reaches the pointy end of its recruitment process.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell announced on Tuesday that Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura would come into play on an interim basis when Andrew Coster leaves next month to lead the government’s Social Investment Agency.

Candidates: Richard Chambers

Deputy Commissioner Richard Chambers speaking after the death of a police officer in 2020.
Photo: RNZ / Sarah Robson

Chambers is known to have long-standing ambitions to be a top cop and is considered a front-line police favourite.

He was recently seconded to a senior position at Interpol in France, but at the time he indicated destined to return in New Zealand.

Chambers first joined the police force in 1996 as a constable in Avondale, but soon rose through the ranks. One profile on the police website, he wrote that he worked on “some fascinating investigations which included an exorcism, a recluse and a foreign national who traveled the world taking advantage of opportunities using false credentials”.

After being promoted to detective and then inspector, Chambers was appointed area commander for Lower Hutt in 2007. He then held senior roles in the Tasman and Southern districts and then Auckland City.

Chambers was promoted to Deputy Commissioner in 2016, leading investigations into serious and organized crime and financial crime.

He also played a key role during the Covid-19 pandemic, tasked with co-leading the police response.

In March 2022, he spoke to RNZ on the operation to clear protesters from the grounds of Parliament, praising the “incredible work” done by officers “in very difficult circumstances”. He said the force used by the police was proportionate to restore order.

Candidates: Jevon McSkimming

Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming speaking on September 19 at a Government press conference on police resources and figures.
Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER

McSkimming was promoted to deputy statutory commissioner last year on the recommendation of then-prime minister Chris Hipkins. The role comes with a higher salary package and status than standard deputy commissioners.

He currently oversees operational and road policing services, which include strategy, media and communications, risk and assurance, and firearms regulation and reform.

During the appointment process, it stood out had “a relatively unique career”working at police headquarters since 2010 in a range of areas: strategy, service delivery, resolution, financial planning, weapons management, ICT and infrastructure.

McSkimming joined the police in 1996 and has worked on the frontline in Auckland and Southland.

He was also responsible for major restructuring – as well as managing the police’s IT systems, property portfolio, vehicles and the launch of the non-emergency 105 number.

In March, McSkimming spoke at the World Police Summit in Dubai, joining a panel on trust, fairness and resilience and giving a speech on the future of policing and organizational resilience.

In July, he spoke to RNZ after union members lost their long-running wage dispute with the government. He said many officers would be disappointed but New Zealand police had an “excellent reputation” for being progressive and rewarding.

Mize

All three parties in the coalition campaigned strongly for law and order. Mitchell has been an outspoken critic of Coster’s implementation of “consent policing”, the principle that the police must maintain public support in order to retain their legitimacy.

While in opposition, Mitchell promised he would “abandon the philosophy of policing by consent of laborwhich has been a failure and to encourage a back-to-basics model of policing.”

At that time, he told the Herald that he and Coster had “different views” on the “effectiveness” of the consent policing approach.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, along with Mitchell, will ultimately decide on the successful candidate before they are formally appointed by the Governor-General.

The job description, posted online by the Public Service Commission, said the commissioner, although independent of government, was asked to “implement all priorities” outlined in the police minister’s letter of expectations.

The most recent letter was released to Coster in December and made clear the government’s key focus on cracking down on gangs.

“I expect the police to use the full force of the law and the tools and resources at their disposal to significantly disrupt gangs and organized crime within New Zealand communities,” the letter said.

The position would require “strong and decisive leadership” to overcome significant challenges to law and order, Mitchell wrote.

“My expectation is that that leadership will be evident.”