Michael (Mike) Pannett MNZM became statutory Deputy Commissioner of Police on 18 December 2025. In this role he has responsibility for Central and Southern Districts (Eastern, Central, Wellington, Tasman, Canterbury and Southern), Investigations, Serious and Organised Crime, National Security and International, Road Policing and District Support, and the Firearms Safety Authority.
Mike has served in NZ Police for over 40 years, holding senior leadership roles in New Zealand and internationally.
He has held a range of roles in the investigation of serious and organised crime, and in national security and intelligence, most recently as Assistant Commissioner: National Security and International. He was District Commander in Southern from late 2015 to the end of 2016.
He was appointed Assistant Commissioner in 2016 and was National Commander for the 2019 Christchurch terror attacks.
From 2020 to 2023, Mike was seconded to lead the Australian Federal Police (AFP) International Command, based in Canberra and working on global policing including Interpol activities.
He was the first police officer to be a sworn Assistant Commissioner simultaneously in both Australia and New Zealand.
For his first 30 years in Police, Mike was based in Auckland and Northland where he became Northland District Crime Services Manager. He established and led the Northland District Intelligence Unit, overseeing high-profile homicide and organised crime investigations. He also led policing operations at Waitangi for more than 20 years.
He was promoted to lead intelligence operations at the newly established National Intelligence Unit at PNHQ in 2009.
His career has included four years in Washington DC as Senior Liaison Officer to the US, Canada, Central and Southern America (2011 – 2015).
He has been involved in security operations for both the Rio Olympics and Beijing Olympics.
In 2010, he was recognised for his services to Police by being invested as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).
In 2014 Mike completed the Senior Executives in National and International Security Program at Harvard University – John F Kennedy School of Government and in 2017 he undertook the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Executive Institute Program.
