In July, a senior police manager alleged she was met with swirling gossip, private group chats and a pervasive “boys’ club” culture when she entered a leadership role overseeing Northland’s predominantly male detective team.
Bridget Louise Doell was seconded to the crime area manager role in 2020 and oversaw senior detectives in the criminal investigation branch (CIB) at Whangārei police station.
She claimed that over the next three years she was sidelined by detectives and described a toxic workplace culture marked by gossip, exclusion from key decisions, and repeated allegations of bullying.
In February, a senior Canterbury police officer was dealt with after multiple complaints of offensive and unprofessional behaviour.
“The authority oversaw a police process into an allegation of bullying and unprofessional behaviour by a supervisor in Canterbury district,” the Independent Police Conduct Authority said.
“Multiple team members complained that their supervisor made offensive jokes in the workplace, set an expectation that staff work through illness, singled staff out when discussing performance issues, and discussed the performance of individuals with the wider team.”
The authority also said police completed an employment process in regard to this case and “took action to remedy the situation and address the concerns raised”.
Canterbury district commander Superintendent Tony Hill called the officer’s behaviour “unacceptable” and said “appropriate action” was taken in response to the allegations.
