• Richard Chambers is set to be announced as the new police commissioner, replacing Andrew Coster.
• Chambers, currently assistant commissioner, was favoured by frontline police and recommended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
• Police Minister Mark Mitchell expects Chambers to provide strong leadership and focus on disrupting gang and organised crime.

By Craig McCulloch of RNZ

Richard Chambers is set to be announced as the new police commissioner shortly, RNZ understands.

He takes over from Police Commissioner Andrew Coster who stepped down last week to instead head up the new Social Investment Agency.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell declined to comment to RNZ, as did a spokesperson for the police.

Chambers, who is currently Assistant Commissioner, has long been considered a frontrunner for the position and is favoured by frontline police.

His main competition for the job was Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming, with both being interviewed for the role late last month.

The appointment comes at the recommendation of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, on Mitchell’s advice. The Governor-General will make the official appointment.

Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers. Photo / Mark Mitchell

It is a critical role for the coalition parties, all of which campaigned heavily on law and order, and were at odds with the former commissioner’s approach.

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”.

In December, Mitchell issued a letter of expectations to the commissioner, making clear the Government’s 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.”

Who is Richard Chambers?

Most recently, Chambers has been seconded to a senior position at Interpol in France.

He joined the police in 1996 as a constable in Avondale and quickly rose through the ranks.

A profile on the police website states that 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.

- RNZ