Commissioner and Executive

The chief executive of Police is known as the Commissioner and is appointed by the Governor General. Andrew Coster is the current Commissioner of New Zealand Police. The Commissioner of Police is accountable to the Minister of Police for the administration of police services, but acts independently in carrying out law enforcement decisions.

Nationally we have 12 districts, which are administered from Police National Headquarters in Wellington, and a number of national service centres that provide administrative and specialised support, such as forensic services.

Each of the 12 districts have a District Commander and a team of Area Commanders who manage the day-to-day operations. You can find a list of these commanders on the district pages.

Executive Leadership Team

Commissioner of Police

Andrew Coster

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Andrew Coster became Commissioner of Police on 3 April 2020. Since then, he has led significant policing developments and initiatives, such as a review of frontline safety and the introduction of a new tactical response model, as well as research into how Police can ensure it is delivering policing that is fair and equitable for all our communities.

Throughout this time he has also led Police’s COVID-19 response and he is overseeing a major expansion of Te Pae Oranga (community panels) that seeks to keep low-level offenders out of the criminal justice system.

In 2020 Commissioner Coster introduced three new priorities to the New Zealand Police: Be first, then do (strengthening how and who we are as an organisation); Deliver the services New Zealanders expect and deserve (understanding and providing what the public want from their police); and focused prevention through partnerships (focused police effort and working with others to achieve better outcomes).

In 2021 Commissioner Coster launched an Organised Crime Strategy to address organised crime, its social drivers and the harm it causes. This strategy has seen national operations underway targeting unlawful behaviour and firearms-related violence by gangs and organised crime groups.

Commissioner Coster’s Police career spans more than 24 years and has a strong history of accomplishments following his graduation from Police College in 1997, including serving in frontline and investigative roles in Counties Manukau and Auckland.

Before being appointed as Commissioner, he was acting Deputy Commissioner: Strategy & Partnerships. In the period immediately after the tragic terror events in Christchurch, he oversaw the development of the Government’s firearms reforms, including the ban on semi-automatic firearms.

Commissioner Coster has worked in a variety of Police leadership roles that have taken him around New Zealand, including Area Commander in Auckland City Central and District Commander for the Southern Police District.

He was appointed Assistant Commissioner, Strategy and Transformation in 2015, providing leadership and co-ordination for Police’s largest IT project of the decade – the replacement of the organisation’s HR and payroll system. He also spent some time as acting Deputy Commissioner: Resource Management.

Commissioner Coster has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Auckland and a Master of Public Management from Victoria University of Wellington. He has been a Solicitor in the Office of the Crown Solicitor in Auckland, and was seconded to the Ministry of Justice as Deputy Chief Executive in 2016. At the Ministry he led the development of a five-year plan to modernise courts and tribunals, before returning to Police.
Deputy Commissioner: Iwi & Communities

Wallace Haumaha QSM, ONZM

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Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha has extensive experience in strategic, operational and tactical policing, relating to the prevention of offending and victimisation of Māori, Pacific & Ethnic people.

He has a proven track record of producing extraordinary results, acknowledged with the Queens Service Medal in 1998 for services to the community while a member of the Criminal Investigation Branch, and Officer in Charge of Community Policing. He was awarded the Police Commissioner’s Commendation for establishing the first Memorandum of Understanding between Police and 14 major Iwi groups in Bay of Plenty District in 2000 - an historic and significant event which marked the beginning of a relationship and partnership model that is now embedded into the structure of policing.

He was also awarded a Commissioner’s Commendation for dedication to duty and leading the largest Māori protest Hïkoi in history - from Northland to Wellington - without incident or arrest. As a consequence, he secured the lasting trust and confidence of Māori activists, a relationship that has had a significant impact on the management of Waitangi Day at Te Tii Marae since 2004.

Wally’s work has been widely recognised, locally and internationally, for engaging with diverse communities. He has been awarded prizes for innovation by the Institute of Public Administration of NZ and has seen Police named top public sector agency for Super Diversity. He continues to lead the development of major policy programmes such as The Turning of the Tide Whanau Ora Strategy, The Justice Sector Māori Outcomes Strategy, Iwi Justice Panels, the National Sponsor for Alternate Resolutions, the Ethnic & Pacific Peoples Strategy and National Māori Wardens Project.

He has led work to build the cultural capability of Police across all districts and has driven the implementation of the restorative justice initiative Te Pae Oranga, formerly known as Iwi Community Panels.

In addition Wally was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 for services to NZ Police and Māori, Pacific and ethnic communities.

On 3 June 2018 Wally was appointed to the position of Statutory Deputy Commissioner. This is a statutory appointment, made by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. He has been appointed for five years.
Deputy Commissioner: Frontline Operations

Tania Kura

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Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Te Kanawa) joined Police in 1987. She is responsible for Investigations and all 12 Police Districts, overseeing day-to-day policing and operations throughout New Zealand. She works closely with, and is supported by, a team of Assistant Commissioners, District Commanders, and Directors.

Throughout her career, Tania has relentlessly focused on the development of her people and building a strong, positive culture. In 2020 she became the first female police officer to be appointed Deputy Commissioner. She held the Leadership and Capability portfolio and was responsible for the organisation’s strategies and approaches to culture, and people and capability development (including operational capability).

Tania was recruited from Invercargill where she was born and raised. Her first posting was to Christchurch. She was the Area Commander of Hawke’s Bay for five years and was promoted to Eastern District Commander in 2017 where she demonstrated her ability to lead significant cultural change.

She has worked at The Royal New Zealand Police College and the districts of Canterbury, Southern, Central, Bay of Plenty, and Eastern in a variety of uniform and investigative and leadership areas.
Deputy Commissioner: Operational Services & Road Policing

Jevon McSkimming

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Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming is responsible for the organisation’s Operational Services & Road Policing. Prior to this role, he was Assistant Commissioner: Service and before that the Chief Information Officer where he managed ICT Services for New Zealand Police.

Jevon joined Police in 1996 after completing his studies in 1995. He has led substantial change management in large, complex departments and has delivered results across Police.

Starting his career in Auckland, Jevon took on front line, Communications and Maritime roles before shifting to the far South, where he met a range of challenges as a rural and provincial sole charge officer.

An opportunity to rewrite rural officers’ work terms and conditions led to a move to Wellington. Jevon then transferred to The Royal New Zealand Police College to run the promotion courses for Sergeant and Senior Sergeant ranks. As Deployment Manager for Wellington District, Jevon and his team played a key role in the model and process design for the New Zealand Police Prevention First Strategy.

During his time as a member of the Executive, Jevon has led the Next Generation Critical Communications Programme, overseen the launch of the Single Non-Emergency Number (105), and managed the property portfolio, police vehicles and the ICT systems to maximise the benefit to the frontline.
Deputy Chief Executive: Corporate Operations

Ruth Currie DSD

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Ruth Currie joined Police in January 2021. The Deputy Chief Executive: Corporate Operations is responsible for leading our People, Finance, ICT, Legal, Fleet Management, Procurement and Infrastructure operations.

Ruth has a wealth of experience as a senior management professional who has led teams within large, complex organisations.

Before joining Police she worked for Kuehne + Nagel Ltd as the Vice President Government & Defence Logistics for the South Asia Pacific region. She took that role after retiring from the New Zealand Defence Force in the rank of Colonel, with over 27 years’ service.

Her last role in the New Zealand Defence Force was as the Joint Support Component Commander, providing logistics and health support to both domestic and expeditionary operations.

In 2018 Ruth was awarded a Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD) for her military service in Lebanon in 2015-2016, in which she held the role of Chief – Observer Group Lebanon for the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation.

Ruth has a Master of Supply Chain Management from Massey University.
Deputy Commissioner: People, Leadership & Culture

Chris de Wattignar

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Deputy Commissioner Chris de Wattignar joined Police in 1999. He is responsible for People Services, Professional Conduct, Safer People and Training for New Zealand Police. He works closely with, and is supported by, a team of Assistant Commissioners, Executive Directors, and Directors, and is responsible for the organisation’s strategies and approaches to culture, health and wellness, and people and leadership development.

Chris commenced his career in road policing, intelligence, and general duties. He qualified as a detective in the Criminal Investigation Branch and spent several years in South Auckland investigating a wide range of serious crime. He held significant operational leadership roles as Area Commander: Counties Manukau South and District Commander: Central District. He was promoted to the Police Executive as Assistant Commissioner: Iwi and Communities at New Zealand Police National Headquarters in 2021.

Chris has a BA (Philosophy) and Postgraduate Certificates in Applied and Public Management. He obtained a Master’s degree in International Security with Distinction (Intelligence) from Massey University in 2015.

Chris is a United Nations Qualified Expert for investigating the use of chemical/biological weapons. He spent a year as a New Zealand Government secondee to the UN investigating allegations of war crimes in the Middle East. He has held external governance roles in a South Auckland youth development trust and his local kohanga reo.
Executive Lead: Future Policing

R Mark Evans OBE

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Mark Evans has been a member of the Police Executive since 2011. As Executive Lead: Future Policing, Mark is the executive lead for several portfolio responsibilities including the New Zealand Police response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 15 March terrorist attacks in Christchurch, Police use and deployment of emergent technologies and the Understanding Policing Delivery research work programme.

Before starting in this role, Mark was Deputy Chief Executive: Service Delivery.

Mark is Vice President of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing (ANZSEBP), a member of the Global Advisory Board for Policing Insight, a member of the World Class Policing Awards Judging Panel and a fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management.

In July 2022 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy at George Mason University, Virginia, in recognition of his leadership in embedding evidence-based policing in New Zealand Police.

Mark came to New Zealand in 2007, having previously been the Director of Analytical Services for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He has an MBA from Manchester Business School and in the New Year’s Honours 2006 was awarded an OBE for services to policing.

He is a frequent contributor to international intelligence teaching and training, and is a Visiting Professor at University College London where he teaches on their MSc in countering organised crime and terrorism and their MSc in police leadership.
Director – Office of the Commissioner

Maria Rawiri

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Maria Rawiri joined Police in November 2020. The Director: Office of the Commissioner provides strategic support to the Commissioner, Executive Leadership Team, and governance to help Police deliver on its priorities and organisational goals. An important focus of the role is to enhance collaborative working arrangements within New Zealand Police and with key partners.

Maria has a wide range of experience from across the public service. She was previously a chief advisor and general manager at the Ministry of Justice, and over the past decade has worked in senior management roles at Oranga Tamariki and the Office of the Auditor-General. In the early part of her career, Maria worked at the New Zealand Treasury and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.