“The group we don’t talk about.”
That was the name of a private group chat where senior detectives were venting about their boss.
Now, the messages in the chat group have shed light on the frustrations within Northland’s criminal investigation branch (CIB) and the apparent disdain some members held for their former area manager, Bridget Doell.
The messages form part of an Employment Relations Authority (ERA) investigation into allegations of bullying by Northland detectives towards their superior during her time at the Whangārei Police station.
The authority has heard her secondment into the role in 2020 was met with resistance from detectives whom she was expected to manage.
Throughout her three-year tenure, Doell alleges the detectives had a “boys’ club” culture excluding her from decision-making, events and talking about her disparagingly in emails and private chat groups.
Several senior detectives from the Northland CIB gave evidence last week at the ERA hearing acknowledging they found it difficult to work with Doell.
A key piece of evidence has been a three-page email sent to Doell from Detective Senior Sergeant Kevan Verry that was distributed to other employees.
In the email, Verry accused his boss Doell of bullying. He challenged her leadership, and made allegations about her conduct – claims he told the authority he was entitled to raise with her directly under police policy.
But authority member Andrew Gane noted the email was “in your face” and appeared to undermine his direct supervisor.
“You’re actually accusing your superior in this email ... ” Gane said.
“Of bullying,” Verry interjected.
“I strongly believed she was demonstrating behaviours of bullying.”
“I’m just trying to work out why you’re picking on her?” the authority member questioned.
Verry acknowledged the email was inappropriate but told the authority working with Doell was the most challenging work experience he had ever faced.
“I had conflict above me and conflict below me,” Verry said.
“I was stuck in the middle.”
Verry said Doell did not respond to his concerns raised in the email but Doell’s lawyer Maria Dew, KC, put to him in cross-examination that the sign-off was abrasive and warranted no response.
“I do not seek a reply as it’s feedback rather than seeking an explanation,” Dew read out directly from the email.
“That’s a fairly arrogant and dismissive way to treat your manager,” she put to Verry.
“Well that’s your opinion ... that’s your interpretation,” he responded.
Several text messages were also submitted into evidence from a group chat called “the group chat no one talks about” that had negative discussions about Doell’s performance.
In the group chat Verry, Detective Senior Sergeant Geoff McCarthy and Christian Fouhy accused Doell of steamrolling a consultation.
Dew put to Verry that allowing negative group chats to occur rather than having open discussions was enabling a continued sense of grievance towards Doell.
“You all knew it was wrong and against the values of police to have an undermining chat group like this,” Dew said.
“I disagree with you. Being a police officer is stressful, it’s part of humour and relieving the stress,” Verry said.
He asked Dew who he could speak to if not his friends.
She responded: “A wellness adviser?”
Verry also had Doell saved in his phone contacts under an emoji he described as “the ice queen” and said it was a reflection of his working relationship with her.
Former District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill gave evidence that Doell had been selected for the role as he wanted change.
The authority member asked Hill whether he felt there was a “boys’ club”.
“I certainly felt there was the perception of that and it predominantly related to the CIB. I felt this was something Bridget could lead change for us,” Hill said.
Hill said in his written statement Doell was like a bull at a gate and her communication style had created frustrations.
“Often Bridget’s approach would be quite abrasive,” he said, before saying he had advised Doell to consider her response in confrontational discussions.
“It wasn’t her natural default as I had seen,” Hill said.
Hill believed the detectives had tried hard with Doell and did not believe they were intentionally excluding her.
Gane noted a recurring theme throughout the hearing was the erosion of Doell’s authority, with internal disputes emerging over control of criminal investigations.
“It’s just not that black and white,” Hill said.
Hill believed Doell had breached the trust of senior detectives and made no effort to repair the relationship.
At one point, he said she was considering filing an Official Information Act (OIA) request targeting the detectives.
“It really is a declaration of war. How would they trust you moving forward?” Hill said.
“We should be able to go into a room and have a high-trust conversation, even if we don’t agree, and leave all on the same direction.
“The thing about leadership teams is, they attract strong personalities. Fundamentally, the very foundation of this, is trust.”
In relation to the text messages and emails sent between staff, Hill said he was very disappointed.
The authority member will release his findings towards the end of the year.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.