Richard Chambers. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The race for the next police boss has been decided, with Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers named as Andew Coster's replacement, after he stepped down last week.
Chambers was picked ahead of Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming, with the two of them being interviewed for the role late last month.
Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura has been in the role on an interim basis following Coster's departure to head up the government's Social Investment Agency, Police Minister Mark Mitchell previously revealed.
Chambers is known to have long-held ambitions to be top cop and is considered a favourite of frontline police.
He was recently seconded to a senior position at Interpol in France, but at the time indicated he intended to return to New Zealand.
Chambers first joined the police in 1996 as a constable in Avondale, but soon rose through the ranks. In a profile on the police website, he wrote he worked on "some fascinating investigations that included an exorcism, a recluse and a foreign national who travelled the world taking advantage of opportunities using false credentials".
Having been promoted to detective and then inspector, Chambers was appointed the area commander for Lower Hutt in 2007. After that, he held top roles in the Tasman and Southern districts and then Auckland City.
Chambers was promoted to assistant commissioner in 2016, leading investigations into serious and organised 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 about the operation to clear protesters from Parliament's grounds, praising the "incredible job" done by officers "in very challenging circumstances". He said the force used by police was proportionate to restoring order.
The appointment comes after all three coalition parties campaigned heavily on law and order. Mitchell was openly critical of Coster's implementation of "policing-by-consent", the principle that police must maintain the support of the public in order to hold legitimacy.
While in opposition, Mitchell vowed to "scrap Labour's policing-by-consent philosophy, which has been a failure, and encourage a back-to-basics policing model".
At the time, he told the Herald that he and Coster had "different views" on the "effectiveness" of the policing-by-consent approach.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, along with Mitchell, ultimately decided on promoting Chambers to the top job.
The job description, posted online by the Public Service Commission, stated that the commissioner, while independent of government, was required to "give effect to all priorities" outlined in the Police Minister's letter of expectations.
The most recent letter was issued to Coster in December and made clear the government's key focus on cracking down on gangs.
"I expect police to be using the full force of the law and the tools and resources it has available, to significantly disrupt gang and organised crime within communities across New Zealand," the letter stated.
The position would require "strong and decisive leadership" to overcome significant challenges to law and order, Mitchell wrote.
"My expectation is that that leadership is evident."
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