(Most of the comments in the “Andrew Coster” section also apply to Richard Chambers)
Richard Chambers became Police Commissioner on 25 November 2024. On his first day, I was ‘delighted’ he outlined one of his high-level priorities was “Leadership – that is accountable, connected, supportive & visible”. I was also ‘delighted’ he said in the below video “Police are not always going to get it right. So long as we learn from those experiences & focus on being better, we have the right approach”.
My ‘delight’ was premature & subsequently unwarranted!
On 20 November 2024, “IMPORTANT: Required PNHQ Disciplinary Actions & Restructuring” emailed this complaint to Chambers – requesting “I look forward to your timely – by 13 December – commitment to follow through on my recommended disciplinary actions”. Despite 7 follow-up emails, including updated versions of this complaint, zero response.
On 12 March 2025, frustrated with his non-response, couriered a physical copy of this letter – marked “Personal/Private: To be opened by Richard Chambers Only”. Courier company confirmed my package was delivered on 17 March.
The following covering note accompanied the complaint.
Widespread PNHQ Corruption and
(Serious) Misconduct & Neglect of Duty
Hi Richard,
Attached is a complaint I have been unsuccessfully (via email) trying to bring to your/predecessor’s attention since 20 November 2024/11 October 2023!
The complaint overviews the widespread PNHQ corruption and (serious) misconduct & neglect of duty I have experienced since lodging an 89 pages report on 28 January 2021 about a $US16.37M (which probably subsequently increased to $US1.045B) fraud. As the criminals were European based, I very simply requested Police properly refer my report to Euro/Interpol or – if that was inappropriate for a valid reason – to the European Countries’ Police (which non-citizens, like me, can’t access).
I reasonably expected its very simple Euro/Interpol referral would be properly completed by Police within 3 months. 4.5 years later & am no closer to such referral than I was in January 2021 – while a ‘swamp’ of PNHQ corruption and (serious) misconduct & neglect of duty has been exposed!
It has been a shocking experience as to how many obstructive people have been repeatedly unwilling to take just 1 minute to forward this letter to you/your predecessor, including:
– as identified in my complaint, numerous (senior) Police personnel
– despite 173 emails to your predecessor, zero response! Also, zero response to my 7 emails to you!
– IPCA & Paul Goldsmith (continue to totally ignore my January 2024 lodged complaint)
– Chris Cahill (since December 2023), Casey Costello (since June 2024), Christopher Luxon (since February 2024), Mark Mitchell (since October 2023) & Winston Peters (since February 2024)
As you will see, I updated the complaint with more ‘misbehaviour’ 13 times! Had Cahill, Costello, Luxon, Mitchell, Peters, numerous (senior) Police personnel or your predecessor’s office staff taken very simple action in a timely manner; some of the named Police personnel would not have been exposed. All of these people were a disservice to Police!
As overviewed in my complaint, you definitely have some rogue (vindictive) personnel within PNHQ who are a disgrace to Police:
– Greg Cramer
– Integrity & Conduct unit, who blocked me from activating their Public complaint process!
– Jason Guthrie
– Jevon McSkimming & your Public facing office staff
– Liam Clinton
– Megan Winch
– Michael Rusbatch
– Paul Hamlyn
– Steve Dunn
As it is non-debatable Police have a huge PNHQ escalation & resolution problem, I recommend a “Service Accountability & Resolution” Deputy Commissioner be appointed to the Executive Team. Nobody should again ever go through the Police ‘nightmare’ I have over the last 4.5 years. This Service Accountability & Resolution Deputy Commissioner appointment should avoid such nightmares reoccurring. Another benefit of this appointment is the public declaration Police are committed to improving their service performance.
I look forward to your timely commitment to follow through on my recommended disciplinary actions. If you legally require my evidence to demote & dismiss personnel, I am willing to provide.
Best regards
Andrew Flanagan
Having read “Attached is a complaint I have been unsuccessfully (via email) trying to bring to your/predecessor’s attention since 20 November 2024/11 October 2023!”, a truly accountable & visible leader with a growth-oriented mindset (as Chambers claims to have in the above video) would have timely emailed me along lines of “Confirming receipt of your letter. I have (summarise implemented action). You can expect to hear further from me(/assigned subordinate) by (date)”.
On 24 March, emailed Chambers the above covering note & current version of this complaint. Despite another 68 follow-up emails, zero response. As of today – 15 plus months later, no response or action from Chambers or any of his subordinates.
Chambers has twice violated Police investigations of complaints. Specifically, “Independent Police Conduct Authority Act 1988 (Act) contains provisions relating to the notification, investigation, oversight and review of complaints & incidents which fall within the jurisdiction of the Authority. The Act requires the Commissioner of Police to notify the Authority as soon as practicable, but in any case within 5 working days, of every complaint or notifiable incident.” Chambers should have notified IPCA of this complaint within 5 working days after 20 November 2024 & 17 March 2025.
On 28 August, “Police Executive restructure” emailed Chambers (ccing his Advisors Alix Wood, Claire Trevett & Kyle Sherson):
Firstly, ‘thanks’ to the ‘delightful’ megan winch of Ministerial Services who declined my January OIA request, it took another 7 months for me to finally source your consultation documents!
I am shocked/very disappointed to see the restructure has failed to address Police’s major ‘culture, leadership, people & service’ issue. In fact, the restructure puts even less emphasis on addressing this major issue – hence, it is likely to get worse!
(Police research reference) overwhelmingly painted bleak picture of culture, which was commonly seen as autocratic culture based on diversity of thought intolerance.
• Significant number of those in managerial positions have little emotional intelligence & few managerial or people skills
• Organisation lacks caring & empathy
* Code of Conduct values (empathy, integrity, professionalism & respect) were not seen as being modelled by organization – particularly at senior level
• Tribal culture which values loyalty over integrity
While this internal research is 4.5 years old, my direct experience over same time period guarantees no improvements have been made since! It is undeniable fact Police have poor/unacceptable culture, where quality leaders are ‘needle in haystack’!!
…
Your restructure looks as if you believe ‘culture, leadership, people & service’ state of Police is fine – that the previous structure was ‘addressing’ an issue that did not exist. Again, I can guarantee you from 4.5 (almost daily) extensive years’ experience with many/several PNHQ/Districts senior constabulary above bleak research outcomes are still ‘alive & well’ within police. Total apathy loyalty first ‘heart’ is ‘pumping strongly’ all way up to & including all members of your Executive Leadership Team ☹
I strongly recommend an externally appointed (maverick/superstar) “Service Accountability & Resolution” Deputy Commissioner in the Executive Team … Their main objectives are: – to ensure ‘resolution’ matters are handled with efficiency, empathy, integrity, professionalism & respect – develop a quality leadership talent pool (which is currently non-existent!)
… PNHQ & Police culture – currently one of accountability hatred – needs to change to a growth-mindset oriented one. Specifically, every accountability opportunity is an opportunity for the organisation & its personnel to grow, improve & learn – to become a better performing organization & people. Addressing accountability is seen as an organisational/personal strength.
…
A Service Accountability & Resolution Deputy Commissioner publicly declares Police are committed to improving their service performance. “The appointment of an Accountability & Resolution Deputy Commissioner shows Police’s commitment to better serve the Public. Perfection will never be achieved, though we will get a little closer to it every day”.
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/ shows what is possible – Police accountability & resolution unit which is a major asset to the organisation as the Public ‘loves’ their highly visible empathy, engagement, integrity, professionalism & respect😊
…
Send accountable message to your organization you are bringing (long overdue) end to Police’s tribal culture which values loyalty over integrity. Dismiss the likes of … Despite all/most of them being 10-40 years Police veterans; they engaged in corruption and serious misconduct & neglect of duty even with my extremely simple Europol referral request & by totally ignoring my numerous performance complaint investigation requests!!
…
By ignoring this letter, please do not further disrespect me. I have already experienced 4.5 years of shocking Police disrespect. Even though part of me is “F**K the police – they don’t deserve in the slightest your insight”, I spent 2 hours compiling this letter in the hope it will lead to much needed improvement in Police. By ignoring this letter, please do not further confirm my above thoughts about Police are 100% spot on.
I look forward to your confirmation by 5 September Police are finally investigating my performance complaint.
Regards
Andrew Flanagan
Despite 4 follow-up emails, zero response.
20 November 2025 was the 1 year anniversary of Chambers’ total apathy!
On 2 December, Chambers appeared in front of the Justice select committee. From the 2 hours 18 minutes mark of this video, he said (paraphrased) “Even don’t have to, I’m implementing the robustness & throughness of the Deputy Commissioners integrity checks standards at the District Commissioners & Commanders levels”.
Chambers, the Public should not be reassured in the slightest by your statement! Public Service Commission’s Deputy Police Commissioners integrity check process was Below standard!
Despite the main purpose of Police being to serve the Public & one of your high-level priorities being “Leadership – that is accountable, connected, supportive & visible”, there is no Public involvement in the District Commissioners & Commanders appointment process. There is no “Police are evaluating appointing Fred Lowe as Southern District Commissioner. I invite Public submissions to be emailed to me at richard.chambers@police.govt.nz by xx/yy/zz”.
As my experience proves, Police merely checking the potential appointment’s personnel record (with Integrity & Conduct) is unreliable! Despite my extensive attempts since 11 October 2023! (actually, prior to this date), this substantial Police performance complaint does not reside in any appropriately visible internal place!
As per the Public Service Commission’s section, there is no way the Public can trust them to compensate for any Police internal check ‘cracks’/inadequacies!
(In July 2024, Jason Guthrie – DEFINITE Dismissal recommendation – was promoted to Southern District Commander! In December 2025, Will Loughrin – Written Warning recommendation – was promoted to Bay of Plenty District Commander)
Chambers did his subordinates a disservice by ignoring this complaint in November 2024. Then, it was ‘only’ 26 pages in length. Now, it is 60 pages. Chambers’ neglect of duty meant another 34 pages of his subordinates’ corruption and (serious) misconduct & neglect of duty over an additional 15 plus months was exposed!
Chambers has done himself a disservice by repeatedly ignoring this complaint. If he had accountability based decision making/ forethought, he would have started to address my:
– Police performance complaint in November/December 2024. Then, he could have quite rightly said “This misbehaviour has nothing to do with me/it happened under my Coster’s tenure”. Instead, he decided to engage in neglect of duty!
– Couriered complaint in March/April 2025. Then, he could have still ‘saved face’. Instead, he decided to continue to engage in neglect of duty!
Now, 15 plus months after Chambers first became aware of my complaint, his neglect of duty is inexcusable!
New Zealand has yet another Police Commissioner who does not ‘walk his own talk’/talks a ‘good’ game only 🙁
I do not understand why it is so difficult for Police to say “Sorry” – to do so is a strength, not a weakness. I do not understand why Police are not interested in addressing widespread PNHQ corruption and serious misconduct & neglect of duty experienced over 5 years – every truly world-class organisation would do so. I do not understand how Police can seriously claim their values include empathy, integrity, professionalism & respect.
Unfortunately now, I really do understand Police have – as per research of their personnel – a super stubborn toxic tribal culture which values loyalty over integrity!
As previously stated, Police are in dire need of a quality true leader ‘shake up’ – somebody who isn’t tainted with (long term) friendships within the organisation & “This is the way we have done things around here for years”. The circa $700k salary would have be appealing to international candidates. (The precedent existed to attract crème de crème international applicants i.e. somebody – Police refuse to identify who – received a $1.15M salary in 2023)
Yet, despite internal research confirming Police’s ‘talent’ pool of quality leaders is extremely limited, Mark Mitchell in his ‘wisdom’ decided to internally appoint the new Commissioner. The only other interviewed – from 9 total applicants – ‘serious’ contender was Jevon McSkimming, who was already well known (within PNHQ) for his inappropriate behaviour when he submitted his application! (McSkimming ‘resigned’ in disgrace on 12 May 2025)
My 5 years experience 100% confirms PNHQ, all the way up to & including Chambers, have a super stubborn toxic tribal culture which values loyalty over integrity!!
Click here for “Public Service Commission – Appallingly Irresponsible Recruiters!” section
I could not refrain from commenting. Well written!