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Former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming was back in court today to plead guilty to charges of possessing objectionable material.
The matter relates to images of child sexual exploitation and bestiality found on his work devices while he was being investigated over another matter.
McSkimming, 51, pleaded guilty to the charges during an appearance in the Wellington District Court this afternoon, November 6.
Following McSkimming court appearance today, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said McSkimming’s conduct was “disgraceful and it is right he has been held to account for it”.
“The outcome shows all police, no matter their rank, are accountable to the laws that apply to us all.
“Mr McSkimming’s behaviour was not only criminal, but goes against the core values of police. I will not allow this to tarnish my staff, who are as appalled by this as I am.
“This shameful episode has done their dedication an immense disservice.
“From the moment I was advised about these circumstances, I have taken it seriously and acted on it.
“As soon as I was made aware of the nature of the material found, I raised it with the Minister of Police as a conduct matter to allow him to consider Mr McSkimming’s position at the time as a statutory deputy commissioner.
“Mr McSkimming subsequently resigned from police. This conduct has no place in police.
“I also ordered a rapid review of the controls and security of police devices.
“I moved quickly to remedy the gaps it identified and ordered auditing and monitoring of staff use of police devices.
“We will investigate any cases of staff found to have accessed inappropriate or objectionable material and will take action where conduct falls short of standard and expectations.
“Lastly, but most importantly, I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of more than 15,000 police staff across the country who work day and night to help keep our country safe.”
Police tighten IT security after review finds weaknesses in system oversight
In regard to IT security, a police spokesperson today told the Franklin Times “a review was launched in May following the issues with Mr McSkimming and then this week we provided an update on that review.”
Police said they have confirmed significant progress on a six-month plan to strengthen IT systems and device security, following a rapid review that found weaknesses in monitoring and oversight of staff use.
Chief Information Officer Matt Winter says the Police Executive Leadership Team approved a remediation plan with 26 actions to be implemented from July to December 2025.
“We prioritised measures that could be implemented quickly and would prevent staff accessing inappropriate content or detect instances where that had happened,” Winter says.
“Of the 26 actions, eight have been completed and the rest are on track for completion by the end of December.”
He says improvements have already identified a small number of cases of misuse and inappropriate content, which are now under investigation.
Police have released the action plan, with sensitive system security details redacted, and says progress is being overseen by the executive leadership team.
Key improvements include renewed audits of staff data and internet use, stronger website blocking and monitoring tools, tighter oversight of exemptions, better device management, and ongoing work to harden the police network against insider and external threats.
“Police have commenced random audits of staff use as well as a more targeted approach to detect attempts to access inappropriate content,” Winter says.
“The new monitoring and alerting approach has already been successful at identifying use of concern which is now under further investigation.”
Exemptions to web access controls now require Assistant Commissioner or Executive Director approval, while procurement of any non-standard devices must be cleared by the ICT team and Chief Security Officer.
The update follows a rapid review released on July 7, led by Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, which found that while Police had modern security controls and clear policies in place, stronger safeguards were needed around staff internet use, device oversight, and external network access.
At the time, Chambers directed the reintroduction of data-use audits, halted four to five years earlier and a full assessment of police-owned devices operating outside the main network.
He said the review made clear the current settings “were not robust enough and required urgent attention.”
