Commissioner of Police (New Zealand)

The commissioner of police is the head of the New Zealand Police and the position is currently held by Richard Chambers.^[1] The commissioner is appointed for a term not exceeding five years by the governor-general, and reports to the minister of police.^[2] The position combines two functions, that of chief constable in charge of policing and cases, and chief executive responsible for assets and budgeting.^[3] The rank insignia is a sword and a rectangular cylinder crossed over each other with a single crown above.^[4] In military terms, the rank is equivalent to lieutenant general.^[5]

Commissioner of Police
Incumbent Richard Chambers since 25 November 2024
Reports to	Minister of Police
Appointer	Governor General on the advice of the prime minister
Term length	No longer than 5 years
Inaugural holder	George Stoddart Whitmore
Deputy	Tania Kura & Chris De Wattigner
Salary	NZ$670,000
Website	https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/structure/commissioner-and-executive

History

The Police Force Act 1886 split the police from the earlier body known as the New Zealand Armed Constabulary, which had performed both civil policing functions as well as being the standing army and militia, on 1 September 1886. Sir George Whitmore was appointed as the first commissioner, reporting to the Minister of Defence.^[6] Early commissioners came from the United Kingdom with military or law enforcement experience, such as Walter Dinnie, who had served as an Inspector at Scotland Yard.

On 20 November 2024, Police Minister Mark Mitchell announced that Richard Chambers would be appointed as the new commissioner of police. Commissioner Chambers took over the position on 25 November 2024, replacing Andrew Coster who had left the role on 11 November 2024. New Zealand Police Association president Chris Cahill has said Richard Chambers was a “popular choice” among police staff.^[7][8]

Between the resignation of Andrew Coster on the 11 November 2024 and the appointment of Richard Chambers on the 25 November 2024 the first ever female commissioner of police, Tania Kura, was appointed for an interim term of 14 days.^[9][10]

According to the Public Service Commission, from 2021 to 2024 then commissioner of police, Andrew Coster, received a yearly salary of $670,000, making him tied for the sixth-highest pay among public sector leaders.^[11]

List of commissioners

#	Image	Name	Term of office		Notes
			Start	End
1		Sir George Stoddart Whitmore	1 September 1886	31 December 1886	[6][12]
2		Major Walter E. Gudgeon	5 January 1887	June 1890	[12][13][14][15][16]
3		Lt. Col. Arthur Hume	1 July 1890	1897	[15][16][17][18]
4		John Bennett Tunbridge	21 October 1897	1903	[16][19]
5		Walter Dinnie	June 1903	22 December 1909	[20][21][22]
6		Frank Waldegrave (acting, undersecretary of Justice)	December 1909	1912	[20]
7		John Cullen	19 April 1912	23 November 1916	[20][23]
8		John O'Donovan	December 1916	1921	[20]
9		Arthur Wright	1 January 1922	31 January 1926	[24]
10		William McIlveney (first New Zealand born)	1 February 1926	30 June 1930	[25][26]
11		Ward Wohlmann	1 August 1930	30 June 1936	[26]
12		Denis Joseph Cummings	1 July 1936	31 October 1944	[27]
13		James Cummings	1 November 1944	15 April 1950	[27]
14		Bruce Young (died in office)	4 April 1950	28 December 1952	[28][29]
15		Eric Compton	11 March 1953	18 April 1955	[29]
16		Samuel Barnett (Controller General)	16 May 1955	1958	[30]
17		Willis Spencer Brown	1 December 1958	1961	[31]
18		Leslie Spencer	1961	May 1967	[32]
19		Colin Urquhart	May 1967	≥ 1969	[32]
20		Sir Angus Sharp	<= 1970	1974
21		Ken Burnside	October 1974	mid 1978	[33]
22		Bob Walton	mid 1978	4 November 1983	[34][35][36][37]
23		Ken Thompson	5 November 1983	January 1987	[37][38]
24		Malcolm Churches	January 1987	April 1989	[38][39][40]
25		John Jamieson	April 1989	? 1993	[41][40]
26		Richard Macdonald	1994	1996
27		Peter Doone	1 July 1996	25 January 2000	[42][43]
28		Rob Robinson	2000	18 December 2005	[44]
29		Steve Long (acting)	December 2005	4 April 2006	[44]
30		Howard Broad	4 April 2006	3 April 2011	[44][45]
31		Peter Marshall	4 April 2011	2 April 2014	[46]
32		Mike Bush	3 April 2014	2 April 2020	[47]
33		Andrew Coster	3 April 2020	10 November 2024	[48]
34		Tania Kura (interim)	11 November 2024	24 November 2024	[49]
35		Richard Chambers	25 November 2024	Incumbent	[50]