NZ News
Watchdog investigating Police Commissioner Richard Chambers since December
The police watchdog has been investigating complaints about Police Commissioner Richard Chambers since December, RNZ can reveal.
It wasn’t until June this year that one of the complainants was interviewed.
On Thursday, RNZ revealed an investigation was underway in relation to complaints about Police Commissioner Richard Chambers.
Neither police, nor the IPCA are commenting on the nature of the allegations.
RNZ understands that one of the complainants is believed to be a former police staffer. It’s understood they emailed the Minister of Police in November last year making allegations about Chambers’ conduct towards women.
It’s understood the other complaint is from a woman Chambers dated more than two decades ago. As part of the investigation, RNZ understands staff from the National Integrity Unit have visited the complainant in Australia. It’s understood her allegations are historical.
RNZ understands that the allegations have not been substantiated at this time.
In response to questions from RNZ, an IPCA spokesperson confirmed that the IPCA received an anonymous letter raising concerns about Chambers in November last year.
“We received a complaint concerning the commissioner on 1 December 2025.
“We decided we would independently investigate both matters on 3 December 2025. Our investigation began shortly after this. The complainant was interviewed by police on 4 June 2026.”
On Thursday, Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Pannett confirmed in a statement that complaints relating to Chambers were being investigated by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) and police.
RNZ / Louis Dunham
“These are being managed in accordance with proper processes including oversight by the IPCA. There is no further comment at this stage.”
In a statement, Chambers said he had been advised that the IPCA and police were investigating complaints against him.
“I strongly reject the claims that have been made.”
He said he would cooperate fully with the investigation and looked forward to having the matter dealt with.
“I acknowledge the public interest in this, but it is important the investigation takes its course. I cannot make further comment at this point.”
In a note to staff, seen by RNZ, Chambers reiterated he strongly rejected the claims.
“It is important to let that investigation take its course without any interference. That is what anyone would expect, including myself.
“I am advised it is not necessary for me to take leave at this point. I will continue to turn up to work and do my job.”
Minister notified of allegations last year
In a statement to RNZ on Thursday, Mitchell said he was “aware that complaints have been received about the Police Commissioner”.
“They are now being investigated by police and the IPCA. I have no further comment at this time.”
In an Official Information Act (OIA) received by RNZ, Mitchell said he had received two complaints related to Chambers.
RNZ / Mark Papalii
“The first on 21 November 2025 and the second on 1 February 2026. These complaints were both referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the Police National Integrity Unit (NIU).”
RNZ asked police when the investigation began, and why it was still ongoing in June, on Thursday evening. They said at this time they have “nothing further to add”.
RNZ also asked the commissioner’s office when he was notified, and if he was frustrated it had taken so long for it to be investigated, given the IPCA and NIU had been aware for several months.
A spokesperson said he was unable to say anything further at this time.
Chambers earlier told RNZ he had expressed concerns about matters involving employees taking too long to investigate.
He said that last year he set an expectation that employment matters should be resolved within 60 days and criminal matters involving staff slightly longer.
“While some issues might require a longer time frame, it should still be completed as promptly as possible.
“As far as I am aware NZ Police has not set timeliness targets for this in the past, but I was concerned many of the matters we deal with were taking too long, and unnecessarily so. That has a significant impact on all of those involved.”
Commissioner continuing in his role
Approached on the nature of the allegations, a spokesperson for the IPCA said “we will not be making any comment about the substance of these complaints until the investigations are concluded”.
In a statement, the IPCA confirmed it had received complaints which concern Chambers.
“These are being investigated by the IPCA and police. We are actively overseeing the police component of the investigation; this includes ensuring the integrity of the investigation is maintained.
“We recognise that there is a high level of public interest in complaints which involve senior police officers. It is important that these complaints are appropriately assessed and follow normal complaint processes.”
The spokesperson said that “in accordance with the principles of fair process and natural justice for the parties involved, we will not be making any comment about the substance of these complaints until the investigations are concluded”.
RNZ asked the Public Service Commission for comment on whether he had been stood down, and if it was appropriate Chambers remain in his role while the investigation was ongoing.
It said, “based on the information available, the commissioner does not consider that is required at this time”.
RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
Police under scrutiny
The revelations follow a troubling year for police in the wake of Jevon McSkimming’s resignation after child sexual exploitation and bestiality material was found on his work devices.
Then, in November the IPCA released a scathing report into police’s handling of allegations made about McSkimming, finding serious misconduct at the highest levels of police – including former commissioner Andrew Coster.
After the IPCA report was released, Chambers said the findings showed “inexcusable conduct by former senior leaders of NZ Police”.
“The events and findings set out in the IPCA report made for appalling reading and showed a total lack of leadership and integrity at the highest levels of police.
“I was shocked by the report’s account of departures in 2023 and 2024 from the expected processes for dealing both with sexual assault complaints and with investigations into police officers.”
He said the events in the report were a “kick in the guts for the 15,000 women and men of NZ Police who turn up to work every day and night to serve New Zealanders and keep them safe”.
“That has angered me. It was not those staff who were found wanting here. It was a failing of leadership.
“The actions and attitudes set out in the report are inexcusable and show a disrespect and disregard for what NZ Police stands for.”
A rise through the ranks
Chambers became Commissioner of Police in November 2024, taking over from Coster.
Speaking at the time, Chambers said the appointment was one of the “highest honours of my life”.
Chambers joined the police in 1996 as a constable in Avondale and quickly rose through the ranks.
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.
Source: RNZ
Latest News
Opportunities to mitigate multi-million-dollar RNZ budget blowout likely missed – experts
Multiple opportunities to identify and mitigate a multi-million-dollar budget blowout at RNZ appear have been missed, according to the former executive director at Audit New Zealand.
The public broadcaster on Monday revealed a near $12 million shock financial loss after a litany of financial blunders, which will now lead to sweeping job cuts.
The $11.8m loss is more than 25 times the $470,000 RNZ had expected to lose over the year to June.
CEO Paul Thompson took responsibility for the result, and said internal reports gave an inaccurate picture of the finances, meaning the scale of the loss only became clear in October.
RNZ’s former chief financial officer Hilary Parker resigned unexpectedly in early October.
The board said it would commission an independent review into what went wrong.
Independent contractor Stephen Walker, who left the Audit Office earlier this year, said the size of the loss was surprising, as was the length of time it took to identify it – months after the financial year ended.
Supplied / OAG
“Probably more of a concern is that they had seemingly been unaware that they were running up a significant deficit until they were in the preparation stage of their annual report in October.”
Walker said public entities typically produced monthly financial reports.
An interim audit also took place before the end of the financial year, he said, but if the organisation hadn’t identified significant losses at that stage, the auditor could also be in the dark.
“It seems that there’s a real weakness in forecasting and budgeting that’s occurred here and that the monthly accounts, when they’re produced, either haven’t identified these significant variances against budget or the magnitude of them really hasn’t come to light until right towards the end of the financial year,” Walker said.
“And really at that point, there’s no opportunity for the chief executive, the leadership team to take, and the board to take, any corrective action because the year has effectively been completed.”
Walker said the “significant miss” was difficult to account for given it was more than 10 percent of RNZ’s total funding.
He said based on RNZ’s annual report, financial complexity didn’t appear to be a factor.
“This $11.8m loss isn’t made up of one particular item … it seems to have been contributed to by a number of separate expense lines running over budget. So I don’t think it’s necessarily to do with complexity.”
Among the errors, RNZ wrongly counted $2m from land sales as income in its budget. Staff costs also came in $3.2m over budget, including $1.4m in redundancy payments.
Professor at Auckland University’s business school Norman Wong said based on media reports the issues identified were “significant and troubling”.
Supplied / University of Auckland
“But recognising the sale of land as income in their budget is a basic error that one would have expected to have been caught and corrected well before it got to this point.”
With funding reductions at RNZ over the past two years, Walker expected greater scrutiny of financial results.
“Virtually every public entity has had their annual budget reduced. And so you would expect … the leadership team on a monthly basis and board – I’m not sure how frequently the board will consider the information – but you would expect them to be interrogating the results on a regular basis throughout the year,” he said.
Walker said initiating an independent review was the correct course of action and that he’d want to understand what information the leadership team and the board were regularly receiving.
He said he’d “love to say” surprising financial results were rare, but conceded they occured on a semi-frequent basis during his time leading the Audit Office.
“The benefit of independent scrutiny by the Audit Office – and the auditors providing that support to the Auditor General – [is] that the reporting is fairly presented at the end of the year, whether it’s good, bad or ugly.”
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