Top female officer gets executive promotion

AUCKLAND: A highranking female officer has been promoted to police’s executive level as assistant commissioner.

Superintendent Sandra Venables, who was the Eastern District commander, is expected to be confirmed in her new role shortly, The New Zealand Herald reported yesterday.

The news came after Inspector Tania Kura was yesterday named as her replacement for the Eastern District, which accounts for the East Cape to southern Hawke’s Bay.

Insp Kura had been area commander for Hawke’s Bay.

It is understood Supt Venables’ new role will be as assistant commissioner of road policing, a portfolio at present being covered by assistant commissioner Mike Rusbatch.

New Zealand Police have never appointed a female to the rank of commissioner.

In 2001, Lyn Provost was appointed deputy commissioner, the first female to hold a commissioner rank.

Supt Venables was the first female to be appointed as the Eastern District commander, after joining the New Zealand Police in 1994.

She began her career in Hamilton before working in Kaitaia, where she was promoted to sergeant and worked as the Northern District family violence coordinator.

She held the rank of senior sergeant in charge of Waikato’s ThamesCoromandel area and inspector while in charge of Eastern Bay of Plenty.

In 2014, she attended the Gallipoli commemorations in Turkey as a liaison officer.

Supt Venables is understood to be on leave and will take up new role later this month.

When she was Eastern District commander, she was heavily criticised by Labour police spokesman and Napier MP Stuart Nash.

Mr Nash said he lost confidence in Supt Venables to police his electorate and said there was a ‘‘hollowing out of policing’’ under her watch.

Last September, Mr Nash agreed to stop publicly criticising her and highlight any perceived issues with the minister of police. — NZME