The police watchdog has identified failings within the police force in managing serious complaints against disgraced former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
52-year-old McSkimming admitted guilt in the Wellington District Court on Thursday to three representative counts of possessing objectionable publications, specifically child sexual exploitation and bestiality material, with knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that the material was objectionable.
The allegations stemmed from a sexual relationship between McSkimming, who was 40 years old at the time, and a 21-year-old complainant.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report stated that when the police finally referred the woman’s allegations to the authority, several months after it was recommended, senior police officers tried to influence the investigation.
Based on a summary of the report, “Those attempts were perceived by some others within police as an attempt to bring the investigation to a rapid and premature conclusion so as not to intersect with the Commissioner appointment process and jeopardise Mr McSkimming’s prospects of being appointed as the next Commissioner of Police.”
There have also been revelations of multiple other allegations of misconduct against McSkimming, including that he misused a police credit card, exploited police property to support a sexual relationship, and threatened to share an intimate visual recording with others if the woman reported him.
The IPCA determined that the existing structures and processes designed to uphold the integrity of policing were insufficient and recommended a number of major reforms to address these shortcomings. This includes enhancing the watchdog’s authority and enhancing oversight from both the minister responsible and Parliament.
“The serious misconduct identified by the authority in this report should not tarnish the reputation of those police staff throughout the country who deal with difficult and risky situations every day with restraint, impartiality and fairness,” it read.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers described the events and conclusions detailed in the IPCA report as “appalling” and indicative of a complete failure of leadership and integrity at the highest levels within the police force.
Chambers apologised to the woman involved for the repeated early failures by senior police in properly following investigative procedures in this case.
“She was ignored and badly let down. That was unacceptable,” he said.
He stated that the investigation into the woman’s allegations, which was initiated in 2024, “should have happened from the start.”
He also recognised a group of police officers who “did stand up and challenge what was happening here.”
“I thank them for their courage, for the leadership and the integrity they showed in doing so.”
The IPCA’s report includes a section highlighting several police officers under the heading ‘Officers who displayed commendable integrity and moral courage‘. The section seeks to acknowledge the efforts of several police staff who stood up.