Police Commissioner Admits 2012 Mistake

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has acknowledged that a complaint upheld against him in 2012 was the result of a mistake. The details were released to 1News following an 18-month effort to obtain the information via the Official Information Act (OIA) and the subsequent intervention of the Ombudsman.

The upheld complaint dates back to 2012, during a period when Chambers was serving as the relieving District Commander for the Wellington region. The internal complaint found that Chambers had wrongly issued a warning to a police employee who was found to be in possession of cannabis. According to the findings, criminal charges should have been brought against the employee instead of a warning.

Official Findings and Response

Bill Peoples, the chief legal advisor for the police, stated that the warning issued by Chambers was in breach of policy, noting that this was unbeknown to Mr Chambers at the time.

Following the determination that the complaint was upheld, Chambers underwent training regarding the pre-charge warning policy. The police employee involved in the incident resigned.

Chambers, who assumed the role of Police Commissioner in November 2024, told 1News that the decision he made in 2012 was a mistake.

Complaint History and Disclosure

Records indicate that a total of six complaints were lodged against Chambers between 1998 and 2020. The 2012 incident regarding the cannabis warning was the only complaint that was upheld during that period.

The process of uncovering this information began in October 2024, when 1News first sought details through the OIA. At that time, Chambers and former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming were reportedly candidates for the top police position. Police Headquarters initially declined to release the information, citing the need to maintain employer-employee confidentiality, despite acknowledging the public interest in the matter.

The disclosure of the complaint against Chambers comes amid separate reporting regarding Jevon McSkimming. McSkimming faced several serious allegations of sexual harassment and later pleaded guilty to three representative charges involving the possession of bestiality and child sexual exploitation material.

The complaint against Chambers was described as being of a much lesser nature than the allegations facing McSkimming.