Michael Pannett named new deputy commissioner, amid police top brass clean-out
Wednesday, 17 December 2025
A new deputy police commissioner has been appointed amid a sweeping reform of the policing top brass and on the same day former deputy Jevon McSkimming is to be sentenced for objectionable material crimes.
On Wednesday Police Minister Mark Mitchell announced that Michael Pannett will take on the role of second-in-command to Police Commissioner Richard Chambers.
Pannett has a 37-year law enforcement career, and became assistant commissioner for National Security and International in 2016.
Before that, he was the New Zealand Police liaison officer to the US, Canada, Central and South America, based in Washington DC.
Between 2009 and 2011 Pannett was the manager of intelligence operations for New Zealand Police, where he was responsible for managing the Police National Intelligence Centre and enabling intelligence-led operational activities.
In 2010, Pannett became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for his services to police.
The Policing Act 2008 allows for one or more statutory deputy commissioner of police roles to be appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the prime minister.
The Government is appointing one, and the other appointment will be made by the Police Commissioner.
On August 18, the Public Service Commissioner posted a job ad seeking “two experienced and highly credible leaders to serve as Deputy Commissioners of Police”.
The roles became vacant after a string of resignations, retirements and restructures across the last year.
Swathes of the police executive team were taken out in one fell swoop after a bombshell Independent Police Conduct Authority report into the conduct of disgraced former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
McSkimming has since pleaded guilty to the possession of child sexual exploitation and bestiality imagery and is being sentenced today.
Former deputy police commissioner Chris de Wattignar, deputy commissioner Tania Kura and assistant commissioner Paul Basham were among the casualties of the watchdog’s findings.
Chambers’ predecessor, Andrew Coster, later resigned form his role as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency too.