Dunbier joined the police in 1985, serving as a frontline constable and detective in Counties Manukau before becoming a sergeant in Auckland.
He then specialised in covert policing for more than a decade, before transferring to the Waikato Police District in 1996.
He became area commander of Eastern Bay of Plenty in 2006 and then district commander of Bay of Plenty based in Rotorua in 2010, implementing the policing excellence change programme and introducing the prevention first operating model in the area, resulting in the reduction of crime and an increase in workplace engagement.
He became the deputy commissioner of resource management in 2014, successfully leading the implementation and embedding of the 47 recommendations for police from the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct.
Following a three-year secondment to the Australian Department of Defence, he became deputy commissioner of operations in early 2020, with responsibility for more than 10,000 New Zealand Police staff.
Dunbier led the police response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which included the policing of lockdown restrictions, staffing and managing the managed isolation and quarantine facilities across the country and operating the alert level boundary checkpoints.
In announcing his retirement two weeks ago, Dunbier said policing was a fantastic career.
“I’ve been privileged throughout my 37 years to work with so many great people, who do amazing work every day to serve their communities.”
Having led police through some challenging times, he said he retired knowing the police were well positioned strategically, operationally and culturally to meet the challenges ahead.
