After a week of scandal labelled an “absolute disgrace” by New Zealand’s top cop, some of the country’s newest officers have today celebrated joining the force.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers is today attending the graduation ceremony for Recruit Wing 390 in Auckland.

The ceremony marks the recruits’ completion of their initial training course and attestation as police officers.

Former Prime Minister Sir John Key is in attendance as the patron for the 390 Wing of the Royal New Zealand Police College.

Associate Minister of Police Hon Casey Costello is also attending the event, which kicked off at the Barfoot and Thompson Stadium in Auckland at 11am.

The ceremonial event comes after a week of turmoil for police.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers attends the graduation ceremony for Recruit Wing 390 in Auckland. Photo / Jason Dorday 

A damning report released this week by the Independent Police Conduct Authority found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police, including former Commissioner Andrew Coster, over how police responded to allegations of sexual misconduct by former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

The highest-ranking police officers in New Zealand ignored anonymous allegations that McSkimming was a sexual predator.

Instead, the emails sent by the young female complainant were used by police as evidence to prosecute her.

Commissioner Chambers earlier this week gave a scathing assessment of his predecessor Coster’s handling of the allegations against McSkimming and the decision to keep sex complaints against the former top cop secret.

He called the situation “an absolute disgrace”.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and Associate Minister of Police Casey Costello at today's graduation ceremony in Auckland. Photo / Jason Dorday 

At today’s ceremony, Royal New Zealand Police College director Sam Keats acknowledged the recent scandals police leadership have faced, while thanking Chambers for his leadership during what’s been a “tough week”.

“You’re about to realise your dream of becoming a New Zealand police officer,” Keats told recruits.

“Be humble, listen and continue to learn.”

Patron Sir John Key told the recruits he was proud of them and remembers when they were “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed” at the beginning of the training.

Key said the training was not only physical, but mental.

“They will see some of the best of New Zealand, but also sadly the worst.”

Key addressed the McSkimming scandal at the conclusion of his speech.

He said it was unfortunate that institutions and people make mistakes or deliberately do things wrong sometimes.

“It’s how we handle it now and going forward.

“I think with Richard Chambers, we have one of the finest leaders the police force has seen. Yes, there is a degree of trust that needs to be rebuilt … but it will be rebuilt.”

Chambers spoke to media after the ceremony saying it had been a “tough week”.

“But It’s really important for us as an organisation to move forward now. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but actually, as the Commissioner, I want my whole team of 15,000 people to focus on moving forward and being the best we can for the country.”

He said New Zealanders could trust the police.

“Trust is critically important for us to be able to do our job. We need New Zealanders to have faith in their police, and they can,” Chambers said.

“The events of this week are appalling. I’ve been very clear with my thoughts on it, lack of leadership, lack of integrity, but actually, let’s not forget 15,000 men and women do a great job day and night.

“We’ve got to move forward. We’ve actually got to just crack on and do the right thing for our country.

“As I said earlier in the week, this whole experience has been a kick in the guts for members of New Zealand Police, whether you’re on the frontline or with your civilian colleagues. It’s appalling behaviour, but I really do want my organisation to move forward and do their absolute best.”

Chambers said the IPCA report “speaks for itself”.

“As I have previously said, the behaviours of some of the most senior officers in New Zealand Police, now former, were one of groupthink self-interest, and they put aside the needs of a woman reaching out who wanted to tell the police something. And that was not important to the senior leadership; that’s the way it appears. That must never happen again.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do to put things in place. My job as Commissioner of Police is to steer our organisation with a new leadership team.”

Yesterday, Chambers attended a Wellington graduation ceremony for new recruits, where he admitted he was pulled over for speeding last week.

He told the recruits getting pulled over was the “dumbest thing I’ve done” as commissioner, saying he was “away with the fairies” at the time.

Chambers today said a lot of people have had a lot of laughs at his expense over the speeding ticket.

He said he saw lights flashing behind him in the car and he thought, “oops, something’s not right here”.

“I’m a human being”, Chambers said.

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.