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Andrew Coster

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Andrew Coster
Coster in 2020
Chief executive of the Social Investment Agency
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 November 2024
33rd Commissioner of Police
In office
3 April 2020 – 10 November 2024
Preceded byMike Bush
Succeeded byTania Kura (interim)
Personal details
Born1975 or 1976 (age 48–49)[1]
Dunedin, New Zealand

Andrew David Coster (born 1975 or 1976) is a New Zealand senior public servant and former police officer. Currently the chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, he served as Commissioner of Police from 3 April 2020 to 10 November 2024.

Early life and education

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Coster was born in 1975 or 1976 in Dunedin, and grew up in Auckland,[2] attending King's College.[3] His father is Professor Gregor Coster, the former Dean of the Wellington Faculty of Health.[1][4]

Coster holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Auckland and a Master of Public Management from Victoria University of Wellington.[5]

Career

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Coster joined the New Zealand Police in 1997. While serving, Coster studied law at the University of Auckland,[6] and briefly left the Police to work for Meredith Connell as a Crown prosecutor.[2] He returned to the Police in 2005 in a supervisory position and went on to serve as Auckland City Area Commander, from 2009 to 2013, and Southern District Commander, from 2013 to 2015. At the time, he was the youngest district commander ever appointed.[7]

After attaining the Wellington-based position of assistant commissioner for strategy and transformation in 2015, Coster was seconded to the Ministry of Justice in 2016 where he was a deputy chief executive leading a court reform project.[7] Returning to the Police in 2018, Coster was an acting deputy commissioner, during which time he was involved with weapons reforms following the March 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.[2]

Police Commissioner

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Coster was appointed as the Commissioner of the New Zealand Police on 9 March 2020.[8] Another candidate as Commissioner was Mike Clement, the then-Deputy Commissioner. He started his term on 3 April 2020 at age 44, becoming the youngest person to assume the role.[9]

In mid-February 2021, Coster's efforts to combat gang and gun violence was criticised by the National Party's Justice spokesperson Simon Bridges, who described Coster as a "wokester commissioner" in a Twitter post.[10] On 25 February, Coster defended the Police's "policing by consent" policies in response to criticism by Bridges during a Justice select committee hearing at the New Zealand Parliament.[11]

During the 2022 Wellington protest, Coster unsuccessfully attempted to convince anti-vaccine mandate protesters to voluntarily remove their illegally parked vehicles from the area around the New Zealand Parliament in mid February 2022.[12] After protesters refused to vacate the Parliament grounds, he ruled out pursuing enforcement action against protesters due to concerns about violence. Coster instead announced that Police would pursue a policy of "negotiation and de-escalation."[13] Coster's decision to rule out "enforcement action" was criticised by the National Party's police spokesman Mark Mitchell, who claimed that Coster had lost credibility as Police Commissioner.[14] On 2 March, Police evicted the remaining anti-mandate protesters following a violent riot.[15][16]

Following the formation of a National-led coalition government after the 2023 New Zealand general election, Police Minister Mitchell met with Coster in early December 2023 to set out expectations on police and combating gangs. Coster agreed to the Minister's expectations.[17]

In July 2024, Coster announced he would step down as commissioner at the end of his term, which was scheduled for April 2025.[18] That September, it was announced Coster would leave the role sooner to start his next position as chief executive of the government's new Social Investment Agency in November 2024.[19] Acting Public Service Commissioner Heather Baggot stated she was "very pleased" to appoint Coster to his new role, and that "[Coster] is a highly respected and impressive public service leader who has considerable experience delivering initiatives to address complex social issues".[20] In contrast, President of the Police Association of New Zealand, Chris Cahill, took a different view commenting that Coster's resignation was "probably a good call" and that he "hasn't been everyones favourite commissioner".[21] Coster completed his term as commissioner on 10 November, and was succeeded in the role in an interim capacity by the deputy commissioner Tania Kura the following day.[22]

Ranks and postings

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  • 1996–1997: Police Recruit, Constable
  • 1997–2003: Various different frontline and investigative roles within Counties Manukau and Auckland Metro area
  • 2005–2006: Response Manager/Section Supervisor, Counties Manukau West
  • 2006–2008: District Deployment Manager, Counties Manukau
  • 2009–2013: Area Commander, Auckland City Central
  • 2011–2013: Armed Offenders Squad Commander, Auckland
  • 2013–2015: District Commander, Southern Police District
  • 2015–2016: Assistant Commissioner, Strategy and Transformation
  • 2018: Deputy Commissioner, Resource Management (acting)
  • 2018–2020: Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Partnerships (acting)
  • 2020–2024: Commissioner of Police[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b Manson, Bess (31 May 2020). "National Portrait: Andrew Coster – Top Cop". Stuff. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Andrew Coster named as New Zealand's new police commissioner". Radio New Zealand. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  3. ^ "King's College Old Collegians' Association Ltd". King's College Old Collegians' Association Ltd Online Community. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Retirement of Professor Gregor Coster" (Press release). Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Commissioner, Executive and District Commanders". New Zealand Police. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Graduation Search Results". University of Auckland. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b Brown, Timothy (9 November 2016). "2-year secondment to Justice Ministry". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  8. ^ Manch, Thomas (9 March 2020). "High-ranking police officer Andy Coster appointed commissioner of police". Stuff. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  9. ^ Vance, Andrea (20 February 2022). "NZ's top cop: Who is Andrew Coster, the man struggling to deal with the Parliament protests?". Stuff. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Police crackdown on guns held by organised crime groups and gangs". Radio New Zealand. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  11. ^ McCullough, Yvette (25 February 2021). "Gang crackdown: Simon Bridges, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster face off at select committee". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Protest groups issue statement after top cop's warning – cars to be towed shortly". Newstalk ZB. 15 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Enforcement action against Parliament protesters could lead to violence – Coster". Radio New Zealand. 20 February 2022. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  14. ^ Neilson, Michael; Weekes, John (19 February 2022). "Covid 19 Omicron convoy Parliament protest: Calls for mayor to 'step up' as police backtrack on towing, focus on 'de-escalation'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  15. ^ "LIVE: Wellington protest appears to be at 'final standoff' on CBD street". New Zealand Herald. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Protesters set multiple fires on parliament grounds". The Spinoff. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Minister sets expectations of Commissioner". Beehive.govt.nz. New Zealand Government. 6 December 2023. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  18. ^ Sherwood, Sam (26 July 2024). "Police Commissioner Andrew Coster confirms he's leaving police at end of contract". Stuff. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  19. ^ Smith, Sam (24 September 2024). "Police Commissioner Andrew Coster quits for new role". Stuff. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Police Commissioner Andrew Coster quits for new role". Stuff.
  21. ^ "Coster 'hasn't been everyone's favourite' – Police Association".
  22. ^ "Tania Kura appointed interim police commissioner". Stuff. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  23. ^ "New Commissioner of Police appointed". The Beehive.
[edit]
Police appointments
Preceded by Commissioner of Police
2020–2024 		Succeeded by
Tania Kura
(interim)
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