Deputy Commissioner: Frontline Operations

Tania Kura (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Te Kanawa) joined Police in 1987.

Throughout her career, Tania has relentlessly focused on the development of her people and building a strong, positive culture. In 2020 she became the first female police officer to be appointed Deputy Commissioner.

Before being appointed interim Commissioner she held the Frontline Operations portfolio where she was responsible for Investigations and all 12 Police Districts, overseeing day-to-day policing and operations throughout New Zealand.

She has also held the Leadership and Capability portfolio and was responsible for the organisation’s strategies and approaches to culture, and people and capability development (including operational capability).

Tania was recruited from Invercargill where she was born and raised. Her first posting was to Christchurch. She was the Area Commander of Hawke’s Bay for five years and was promoted to Eastern District Commander in 2017 where she demonstrated her ability to lead significant cultural change.

She has worked at The Royal New Zealand Police College and the districts of Canterbury, Southern, Central, Bay of Plenty, and Eastern in a variety of uniform and investigative and leadership areas.

Tania was interim Commissioner of Police from Monday 11 November to Sunday 24 November 2024.