On 24 September 2024, emailed 3 pages “New Police Commissioner Recruitment Process” letter to NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (cced to ACT Party Leader David Seymour, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello, New Zealand First Party Leader Winston Peters & Public Service Commission).
“Most importantly: As too many skills deficiencies Coster was never appropriate for the Commissioner role, the Public Services Commission (PSC) – who were heavily involved in the 2020 appointment process – have a poor track record. Police is one of the Country’s largest operational agencies, yet PSC appointed a person with seriously deficient cultural & operational management ability & interest! Instead, get Independent Experts to perform the majority of the recruitment process.
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I believe all 2020 shortlisted candidates were internal applicants. Based on my intensive 41 months experience, I can almost guarantee there is no suitable potential Commissioner in PNHQ. It’s not looking likely that person exists in the Districts either. (A poor reflection on de Wattignar) I perceive quality true leaders are ‘rare as hen’s teeth’ within Police – lots of/very few senior personnel waiting to be told what to do/with proactive solutions orientated initiative. Police are in dire need of a quality true leader ‘shake up’ – somebody who isn’t tainted with “This is the way we have done things around here for years”. The circa $700k salary should be appealing to international candidates. If not, the precedent exists to attract crème de crème international applicants i.e. somebody – Police refuse to identify who – received a $1.15M salary last year.
The massively over-staffed, very dysfunctional culture & woeful performing PNHQ needs to be significantly restructured! … Country deserves a new ‘call a spade a spade’ Commissioner like Sir Mark Rowley of London Met Police – “…the cancer at the Met Police needed to be removed: You can have a majority of the organisation who are good people, but systemically you can fail & have failed to root out the people who shouldn’t be there, to set the standards & the culture.” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-66773782
Police are in dire need of a Commissioner who truly believes in and will enforce & model the “empathy, integrity, professionalism & respect” values embodied in their Code of Conduct. In my 3.5+ years’ experience, despite extensive efforts, I could not find even 1 PNHQ Constabulary who conducted themselves according to those supposed values! (All current PNHQ ‘leaders’ merely ‘pay lip service’ to these ‘good looking’ words – they don’t ‘live’ them!) There needs to be consequences, unlike currently, for PNHQ personnel who repeatedly do not behave as per these values.
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Zero indication my thoughts were considered or response.
On 25 September 2024, emailed 2 pages “Alarm Bells – New Police Commissioner Recruitment Process” letter to Luxon (cced to Costello, Peters, Public Service Commission & Seymour)
“Of course, abysmal out-of-touch “There are very good people in current leadership roles who could step up to Commissioner role” (which is highly debatable) mark mitchell ‘set off alarms bells’ in his https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5r6kRvkgtQ interview. No specific characteristics looking for in new Commissioner, only generic ‘weasel’ words like “ability to work at very strategic level” (…)! Of more concern, wanting to rush appointment by November for no valid reason! Obviously, it makes much more sense to ‘take more time’ (if need be) to appoint right person than to rush a “they’ll do” appointment to coincide with the anti-gang legislation launch (for which a Commissioner isn’t imperative).
After having the immense displeasure of dealing with many PNHQ constabulary over the last 3.5+ years, my thoughts re new Commissioner are:
As Police are one of the Country’s largest operational agencies, it is essential the new Commissioner is a hands-on operator who is very aware of Police’s external & internal realities (…) The abysmal Mark Mitchell is quoted believing the new Commissioner needs the “ability to work at very strategic level”. Absolute bullocks (…)! Police’s role is enforce, not develop, legal legislation – hence, unlike many Government agencies, Police have few “Policy Analysts” (…)
As PNHQ is undeniably massively overstaffed & woefully performing, imperative the new Commissioner has experience of successfully restructuring a major operation.
Imperative the new Commissioner is of ‘call a spade a spade’ nature – like previously mentioned Sir Mark Rowley of London Met Police. Having reviewed Coster’s media over the last 3.5+ years, he refused to accept any constructive criticism of Police – he even unprofessionally strongly disagreed with IPCA investigation findings in public! Coster’s ‘Police do everything perfectly’ delusion was detrimental to the organization – there is zero willingness within PNHQ to address/take responsibility for sub-par performance, research identifying major deficiencies is ignored etc. The Public will respect a Police Commissioner who is willingly to publicly say “As we don’t do x well enough, we have initiated y & z to improve our performance in that area. We’ll give you a progress update in … months/weeks”.
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(Repeated above “Police are in dire need of a Commissioner who truly believes in and will enforce & model the “empathy, integrity, professionalism & respect” values embodied in their Code of Conduct” point)
So, all other things being equal, I recommend external – rather than internal – appointment. An external appointment has the advantage/’liberty’ of being able to give PNHQ a ‘mighty shakeup’, which it desperately needs, without any personal judgements clouding their actions😊 Police’s own research confirms they have a tribal culture which values loyalty over integrity ☹ As my 3.5+ years intensive experience proved over & over again, serious misconduct & neglect of duty was totally overlooked because the ‘offenders’ had been with Police 10+ years!
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As history confirms, Public Services Commission (PSC) did a very poor job with the 2020 Police Commissioner recruitment process. I premise they were ‘conned’/overly impressed by coster’s “I want police to be known as a service, not force” & “policing by consent” mumbo jumbo. PSC aren’t good recruiters of key personnel – it is what it is/not their forte. As the Country can’t ‘afford’ a coster 2.0, get Independent Experts to perform the majority of the 2024 recruitment process. Remember you are supposedly a “it’s all about outcomes & results” Government.”
Zero indication my thoughts were considered or response.
On 27 September 2024, “Another Alarm Bell – New Police Commissioner Recruitment Process” emailed Luxon (cced to Costello, Peters, Public Service Commission & Seymour).
“I see the Government is Rushing (for No valid reason) the appointment of a new Police Commissioner! – as per … , applications close on 9 October.
For ‘external’ applicants, it would be interesting to know how widely the role is being advertised.
Police’s Own research Confirms they have a Poor pool of leadership ‘talent’ – …
– A significant number of those in managerial positions have little emotional intelligence & few managerial or people skills!
– Tribal culture which values loyalty over integrity (…)
Yet, looks like the Government has Already decided the next Commissioner will be either Jevon McSkimming or Richard Chambers…
After the Public Service Commission literally recommended ‘a square peg for a round hole’ in 2020, you are risking they Repeat their mistake in 2024 – at risk of “insanity”, expecting a Successful outcome from the previously Failed process! You repeatedly say ‘it’s all about the outcomes & results’, yet doN’t seem to be Even trying to attract best-in-class applicants! Instead; the Country are merely left with ‘thoughts & prayers’ Richard Chambers has – a ‘call a spade a spade’ nature & ‘lets be very good at the basics/old school’ policing mentality – experience of successfully restructuring a major operation (required for PNHQ) – very strong internal culture & operational management skills.”
Zero indication my thoughts were considered or response.
As PNHQ have a very dysfunctional culture, important the new Commissioner has very strong cultural management skills. It will be demoralizing for Police’s good performers working alongside the poor performers like Chris Page, Greg Cramer, Jason Guthrie, Jill Rogers, Kylie Schaare, Liam Clinton, Megan Winch, Mike Johnson, Mike Pannett, Mike Rusbatch (retired in September 2025), Nick Thom, Paul Hamlyn, Rachael Bambery, Steve Dunn & Tania Kura (to retire in November 2025). Demoralizing seeing their serious misconduct &/or neglect of duty year after year, without any consequences. Even worse, seeing them – as has occurred with Guthrie & Thom since my 11 October letter version – promoted!
The natural tendency of good performers will be to let their performance standards slip i.e. “Why should I ‘bust a gut’ when crap performers are earning more & getting promoted ahead of me!?” Morale & service will improve with a Police Commissioner who transforms the current dysfunctional culture which values loyalty over integrity – good performers will be rightfully ‘rewarded’ & poor performers ‘weeded out’.
Media reported Coster “interviewed well”. The appointment panel were impressed by Coster’s “I want Police to be known as a service, not a force” & “Policing by consent” mumbo jumbo! As the selection panel very obviously didn’t do anywhere near sufficient due diligence to ensure Coster could deliver his “service” aspiration, make sure the candidates can prove their “This is how I improved/transformed x” claims! During the selection process, ‘grill’ the candidates on real world issues i.e. give them the previously mentioned “culture” research & ask how they would address the unacceptable results. The candidates need to have more of a ‘lets be very good at the basics/old school’ policing mentality & less of Coster’s ‘futuristic’ mentality.
Because they are main parts of Police’s leadership problem, de Wattignar & McSkimming are not Commissioner material – they are not the key solution/way forward. Instead of a potential promotion, they should be demoted from the Executive Leadership Team (even dismissal for de Wattinger). (McSkimming ‘resigned’ in disgrace on 12 May 2025) (On 4 October 2025, discovered de Wattignar had left Police)
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