Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on Richard Chambers being appointed the new Police Commissioner

The nation's new top cop is prepared to step into the role.

Richard Chambers has been appointed the new Police Commissioner by Minister Mark Mitchell - and he's ready to get stuck in on the eve of the Government's new patch ban.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Chambers has been rising through the ranks for decades - and he's a good fit for the job.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry Soper, senior political correspondent, is with us. Barry, Hello,
good afternoon. You also think Richard Chambers looks like I.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Do, But Richard James has got gray hair, not blonde,
but flesh Gordon has.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
You can sort of see him zapping.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Out there, can't you, and getting.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
Rid of the criminals.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
I've got to say, like you mentioned here that he
was the favorite for frontline police, he's an old fashioned
type cop. Yeah, started his job in Evandale in nineteen
ninety six, so he hasn't been around all that long.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
But nevertheless he's risen through the ranks.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
As you said, he's worked an into pol And. Co
nineteen ninety six is thirty years Barry, Well, it doesn't
seem that long ago, not to you.

Speaker 1 (00:40):
But I mean that's like a that's a decent chunk
of time.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
To be in parliament for sixteen years. Carry on.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Any it's a critical role for the Coalition government because
you know they are really taking a hard line on crime,
so it's important they had a cop like this and
the top and Mark Mitchell, the Police ministery made it
quite clear that Andrew Costa wasn't the man for him
setting about a letter just after he became the minister,

(01:09):
saying what his expectations were. They obviously couldn't be met.
So Chambers was asked that hoary old question, does he
think the police need to be armed? Here's what he said.

Speaker 4 (01:19):
I am a leader who would like to think. I think,
like many New Zealanders, that we don't find ourselves in
a situation as a country where poles are routinely armed.
I don't think any of us want or need that. However,
you know, policing globally is getting more volatile, it's getting
more unpredictable, and I am not going to shut down

(01:39):
listening to the reflections of my frontline staff in terms
of what they might think they need. It's obviously a
significant debate for our country. But I am open to
to have that conversation.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
See that's interesting because he's left the door open eyed.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Quite so.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
I find that quite interesting. I'll tell you what, though,
Chambers will have to hit the ground running with the
crackdown on Gang's beginning at midnight tonight. Just to remind
listeners what it involves here is the Prime Minister.

Speaker 5 (02:07):
Gang insignia will be banned in all public places, courts
will be able to issue non consorting.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Orders, and police will be able to.

Speaker 5 (02:14):
Stop criminal gang members from associating and communicating. Greater weight
will also be given to gang membership at sentencing, enabling
courts to impose more severe punishments. Gangs aren't community groups.
They're not rotary. They thrive on destroying the lives of
other New Zealanders, whether that's by peddling drugs or through
brutal acts of violence that leave communities in fair We

(02:34):
promise to restore law and order and tomorrow police will
have more powers to do exactly that.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
And the Commissioner says those powers they'll be using them
from midnight tonight.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Do you see Tzpatsi Maari has had no don't let
me finish as before we laugh, has later complained about
the speaker.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
Oh, the poor little gendems. They had to reply to
the speaker today.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
I don't know whether they have because the co leaders,
the young woman.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
Who it's one tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, I.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Had to reply, Oh tomorrow, it is, yes. But the
leaders say that they made a complaint over actions taken
by Jerry Browne. They said there was an estimate of
forty two thousand. That's the latest who knows what the
number was that culminated at Parliament deb and now Packer
says brownly over used his powers, going further than for

(03:27):
any other protest.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
Give me break, think what did he do?

Speaker 1 (03:31):
What did he do?

Speaker 4 (03:32):
Well?

Speaker 3 (03:32):
Think back to Trippa Mallard and Sprinklers.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
Co Covid and the something never mind that brings up
a did Jerry do?

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Brings up an interesting point.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, he didn't allow the Multi party staff to give
the final water the protesters water. Yeah, well he should
have turned the sprinkles system on. Take a leaf out
of Mallard's book.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
Us, it's not like it's a oasis a water desert
in Wellington. Go down the road and buy some.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
Water, old boys across the road at the back bench
and one else.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
He also prevented their access to the WiFi, so.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
He blocked that usually data. But they couldn't.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
They couldn't do their may when they had no internet access.
They tell them, so they've laid the complaint. I think
it'll be the speaker though, that will be complaining about
them before very long as you say.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
Tomorrow, I mean, you cannot say that that is the
most egregious use of a speaker's power when we've only
just lived through trip. How great? Okat Barry, thanks very much.
The fun never stops is very so, per Senior political correspondent.
For more from Hither Duplessy, Allen Drive, listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow

(04:49):
the podcast on iHeartRadio