Police Commissioner Richard Chambers welcomes the announcement of Assistant Commissioner Mike Pannett as a statutory Deputy Commissioner of NZ Police.
"I want to congratulate Mike on his appointment after a lengthy and very thorough selection process.
"Mike is a thoroughly decent person with integrity and determination and has the leadership experience needed for this position.
"He has had a varied career and brings valuable experience to the leadership of NZ Police.
"Mike's background is in policing in Auckland and Northland, focusing on organised crime and intelligence. He was also District Commander of the Southern police district in 2015/2016.
"His subsequent experience working internationally and his extensive work on national security, intelligence and transnational crime equip him to ensure we are well-placed to address emerging threats to New Zealand.
"This appointment means I can now establish my wider leadership team after what has been a challenging period.
"I will commence the appointment process for a second, non-statutory Deputy Commissioner immediately and expect to finalise an appointment early in 2026.
"I also expect to announce new Assistant Commissioners soon to fill vacancies at that level.
"I have every confidence NZ Police has the strong, effective and stable leadership it needs over the coming months and years.
"Implementing the recommendations of the IPCA report will be an immediate focus for the new leadership team. Work is already underway on that important work.
"We have a big job to do and my focus is very firmly on doing that job to ensure we maintain and build on trust and confidence of both the public and the frontline," Commissioner Chambers says.
Assistant Commissioner Mike Pannett says:
"I feel very privileged and excited about this opportunity and will do my best for the men and women of NZ Police, and the communities we all serve.
"I have experience in a wide range of policing approaches, and a strong belief that trust and confidence underpins everything that we do.
"There are 15,000 dedicated staff in Police and I want to ensure people understand the difficult job they do, day and night, and the dedication they show.
"I look forward to being part of a leadership team that focuses on the front line and the communities they serve."
Biography: Assistant Commissioner Mike Pannett
Assistant Commissioner Michael (Mike) Pannett MNZM has served in NZ Police for over 40 years, holding senior leadership roles in New Zealand and internationally.
He is currently Assistant Commissioner - National Security and International.
Assistant Commissioner Pannett has held a range of roles in the investigation of serious and organised crime, and in national security and intelligence.
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 Assistant Commissioner Pannett 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.
