The commissioner of police is the head of the New Zealand Police and the position is currently held by Richard Chambers. The commissioner is appointed for a term not exceeding five years by the governor-general, and reports to the minister of police. The position combines two functions, that of chief constable in charge of policing and cases, and chief executive responsible for assets and budgeting. The rank insignia is a sword and a baton crossed over each other with a St Edward's Crown above. In military terms, the rank is equivalent to lieutenant general.
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. 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.
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.
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.
List of commissioners # Image Name Term of office Notes Start End 1 Sir George Stoddart Whitmore 1 September 1886 31 December 1886 2 Major Walter E. Gudgeon 5 January 1887 June 1890 3 Lt. Col. Arthur Hume 1 July 1890 1897 4 John Bennett Tunbridge 21 October 1897 1903 5 Walter Dinnie June 1903 22 December 1909 6 Frank Waldegrave (acting, undersecretary of Justice) December 1909 1912 7 John Cullen 19 April 1912 23 November 1916 8 John O'Donovan December 1916 1921 9 Arthur Wright 1 January 1922 31 January 1926 10 William McIlveney (first New Zealand born) 1 February 1926 30 June 1930 11 Ward Wohlmann 1 August 1930 30 June 1936 12 Denis Joseph Cummings 1 July 1936 31 October 1944 13 James Cummings 1 November 1944 15 April 1950 14 Bruce Young (died in office) 4 April 1950 28 December 1952 15 Eric Compton 11 March 1953 18 April 1955 16 Samuel Barnett (Controller General) 16 May 1955 1958 17 Willis Spencer Brown 1 December 1958 1961 18 Leslie Spencer 1961 May 1967 19 Colin Urquhart May 1967 ≥ 1969 20 Sir Angus Sharp <= 1970 1974 21 Ken Burnside October 1974 mid 1978 22 Bob Walton mid 1978 4 November 1983 23 Ken Thompson 5 November 1983 January 1987 24 Malcolm Churches January 1987 April 1989 25 John Jamieson April 1989 ? 1993 26 Richard Macdonald 1994 1996 27 Peter Doone 1 July 1996 25 January 2000 28 Rob Robinson 2000 18 December 2005 29 Steve Long (acting) December 2005 4 April 2006 30 Howard Broad 4 April 2006 3 April 2011 31 Peter Marshall 4 April 2011 2 April 2014 32 Mike Bush 3 April 2014 2 April 2020 33 Andrew Coster 3 April 2020 10 November 2024 34 Tania Kura (interim) 11 November 2024 24 November 2024 35 Richard Chambers 25 November 2024 Incumbent
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