John MacDonald: In terms of scandals, this one is right up there

Whatever you thought of Andrew Coster as Police Commissioner, you probably felt you could trust him to do the right thing. To be upfront, honest, and certainly not hide stuff.   

And if you thought the attitude within the Police towards women had changed from what it used to be – well you might be having a bit of a re-think on both of those. Because I certainly am after this damning report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority on the way Police handled accusations of sexual offending by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. 

It’s become a bit of a cliche in recent times to describe reports as “damning”, but there’s no doubt how damning this one is. 

It is so damning that we had the Police Minister and the current Police Commissioner doing a live media conference at six o’clock last night as soon as the report came out. And no wonder. Because, in my mind, this could prove to be one of New Zealand’s biggest public sector scandals. 

And it tells me that despite all the talk from the Police after the experience of Louise Nicholas back in the 1980s with cops involved in sexual misconduct, it seems the memo about a culture change hasn’t yet reached some of the top brass either still working there or who worked there until very recently. Including Andrew Coster. 

Let me quote a comment in the IPCA report from one of the country's most senior adult sexual assault investigators. Named in the report as “Officer D”, they said: “You know what's the worst thing – if you make a mistake, the only worse thing that you can do is then cover it up. You can paint all sorts of nice words but to an outsider looking in, and I mean even me, this looks like a cover-up." 

So what happened is Jevon McSkimming got into a relationship with a woman in her early 20s. He was in his early 40s. After that, she started writing dozens of emails to the police, accusing Deputy Commissioner McSkimming of being a sexual predator.  

But instead of investigating the allegations, the emails were used by police as evidence to prosecute her under the Harmful Digital Communications Act last year.  

All of that overseen by Andrew Coster. 

His successor, Richard Chambers, is livid. 

He says there were about five or six senior leaders in the Police —including Coster— who were responsible for what looks to me like a cover up. Some are still with the Police, others aren’t.  

The Commissioner says these people were too quick to believe that the complainant was a spurned woman out for revenge. 

As for Andrew Coster, how ironic is this comment he made when he was commissioner? He said: “We rely on the support of most of the community to be successful and that depends on the way we operate and on the extent to which people feel that they can trust us and that what we’re doing is appropriate.” 

Oh really? 

Coster, these days, is chief executive of the Government’s Social Investment Agency. He’s on leave at the moment. But now that we know what we know, should he be allowed to stay on the government payroll?  

I’m in no doubt that he shouldn't. Because he presided over what I think could prove to be one of New Zealand’s biggest public sector scandals. And, for that reason and that reason alone, he should be toast. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News TALKS'B.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Whatever you thought of Andrew Costa as Police Commissioner, it's
probably fair to say that even if you thought he
was hopeless, you could still all you felt you could
still trust him to do the right thing, to do
the decent thing, to be upfront, to be honest, and

(00:35):
certainly not to not to hide stuff. And if you
thought attitudes within the police towards women has changed from
what it used to be, well you might be having
a bit of a rethink on both of those, because
I certainly am after this damning report by the Independent

(00:56):
Police Conduct Authority on the way that police handled accusations
of sexual offending by the former Deputy Commissioner Jevan mcskimming.
It's become a bit of a cliche in well probably
recent times to describe reports as damning, but there's no
doubt how damning this one is. It is so damning

(01:20):
that we had the Police Minister and the Police Commissioner
doing a live media conference at six o'clock last night
as soon as the report came out. They're on radio,
they're on TV, they were everywhere and no wonder because
in my mind you may think the same. But in
my mind this could prove to be one of New

(01:40):
Zealand's biggest public sector scandals ever. And it tells me
that despite all the talk from the police after the
experience of Louise Nicholas back in the nineties, you know,
with cops involved in sexual misconduct, despite all the assurances
about a change in attitude and culture in the New

(02:00):
Zealand Police, particularly towards women, it seems, doesn't it, that
the the memo hasn't yet reached some of the top
brass either still working there or who worked there until
very recently, including the recent head honcho Andrew Costa. Let
me quote a comment in the Police Conduct Authorities Report.

(02:25):
It's a quote from one of the country's most senior
adult sexual assault investigators and named in the report as
Officer D. They say this quote, you know what, you know,
what's the worst thing If you make a mistake, The
only worst thing that you can do is then cover
it up. You can paid all sorts of nice words,

(02:46):
but to an outsider looking in, and I mean even me,
this is the investigator, even me, this looks like a
cover up. End of quote. So what happened. Jevin mcskimming
got into a relationship with a woman in the early twenties.
He was in his early forties, and after that ended,
she started writing dozens of emails which have been described

(03:08):
as vitriolic. But you write dozens of emails to the
police accusing the Deputy commissioner of being a sexual predator,
but instead of investigating the allegations, the emails were used
by police's evidence to prosecute her under the Harmful Digital
Communications Act. All of that overseeing by Andrew Coster, who

(03:32):
was Commissioner at the time. Now, the current Commissioner, Richard Chambers,
is livid, and here's what he said about Andrew Coster's
involvement in all of this when he was on with
Mike this morning.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
People will take from that what they will. I've certainly
got a personal view. It's an absolute disgrace. It's lacking
a leadership, it's lacking integrity, you know. So he's going
to need to answer to that.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
The Commissioner said there were about five or six senior
leaders in the police, including Andrew Coster, who were responsible
for what looks well for what looks like to me
being a cover up. Some are still with the police,
others aren't. And as for these people, Richard Chambers says,
they were too quick to believe that the complainant was

(04:18):
just some sort of spurned woman out for revenge.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
It was a narrative that they brought into that he
you know, that there had been some issues as a
consequence of an affair that had occurred a number of
years prior even that I knew nothing about. So I
think they believed his narrative and that clouded their judgment,
their decision making. And they know that he was being
put forward as an ex commisioner of police. I mean, goodness, gracious,

(04:43):
I mean, can you just imagine what would have happened
if that had occurred. So I think they brought into
a narrative that clouded the you know, their own personal
self self interest. And we have a poor victim who
was reaching out wanting to tell a story, and she
was not taken seriously. And now that that is not

(05:03):
the responsibility of my very very good investigation across the
country who work with these types of situations. It's the
responsibility that the former executive needs to own.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
And it's a poor has it ever, as for Andrew Costa,
who was famous, of course for touting public trust as
key to good policsing. Remember he called it policing by consent. Well,
how ironic is this comment that he made back when
he was commissioner. He said, quote, we rely on the
support of most of the community to be successful, and

(05:35):
that depends on the way we operate and on the
extent to which people feel that they can trust us
and that what we're doing is appropriate. Really, now these days,
Costa is chief executive of the government's Social Investment Agency.
Apparently he's on leave at the moment, But now that

(05:56):
we know what we know, should he be allowed to
stay on the government payroll? I'm in no doubt that
he shouldn't, for the simple reason that he has presided
over what I think is said before. He has presided
over what I think could prove to be one of
New Zealand's biggest public sector scandals, And for that reason,
and pretty much that reason alone, he should be toast.

(06:19):
Not to mention Richard Chamber's statement that you heard just before,
saying that the way that Andrew Coster handled all this
was quote an absolute disgrace, and that he showed a
lack of leadership and integrity.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
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