The Commissioner of Police is the head of the New Zealand Police and the position is currently held by Andrew Coster. The Commissioner is appointed for a term not exceeding five years by the Governor-General, and reports to the Minister of Police.[1] The position combines two functions, that of chief constable in charge of policing and cases, and chief executive responsible for assets and budgeting.[2] In military terms, the rank is equivalent to Lieutenant General.[3]
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 9 March 2020, then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appointed Andrew Coster as the new Commissioner of Police, taking effect on 3 April 2020.[4] [5] [6]
In 2006, the commissioner was the highest paid official on the New Zealand public payroll.[7] By 2019, the commissioner was no longer the highest paid official on the New Zealand public payroll instead being the 5th. The top spot instead being the Guardian of New Zealand Superannuation.[8] In 2020, current Commissioner of Police, Andrew Coster was paid a salary of $700,000.[9]
| 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 | [10] [11] [12] [13] | |
| 3 | Lt. Col. Arthur Hume | 1 July 1890 | 1897 | ||
| 4 | John Bennett Tunbridge | 21 October 1897 | 1903 | [14] | |
| 5 | Walter Dinnie | June 1903 | 22 December 1909 | [15] [16] | |
| 6 | Frank Waldegrave (acting, undersecretary of Justice) | December 1909 | 1912 | ||
| 7 | John Cullen | 19 April 1912 | 23 November 1916 | [17] | |
| 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 | 1983 | [18] [19] [20] | |
| 23 | Ken Thompson | <= 1984 | >= 1986 | ||
| 24 | Malcolm Churches | 1987 | 1989 | [21] | |
| 25 | John Jamieson | 1989 | ? 1993 | ||
| 26 | Richard Macdonald | 1994 | 1996 | ||
| 27 | Peter Doone | 1 July 1996 | 25 January 2000 | [22] [23] | |
| 28 | Rob Robinson | 2000 | 18 December 2005 | [24] | |
| 29 | Steve Long (acting) | December 2005 | 4 April 2006 | ||
| 30 | Howard Broad | 4 April 2006 | 3 April 2011 | [25] | |
| 31 | Peter Marshall | 4 April 2011 | 2 April 2014 | [26] | |
| 32 | Mike Bush | 3 April 2014 | 2 April 2020 | [27] | |
| 33 | Andrew Coster | 3 April 2020 | incumbent | [28] | |