A police spokesman confirmed Detective Inspector Shona Low was relieving in the role of Southern District investigations crime manager from outgoing Southern CIB head Detective Inspector Steve Wood, who is on leave.
She was the first woman to serve in that role but is at present only acting in a relieving capacity, the spokesman said.
Det Insp Wood would return from leave for a short time in August before moving to a new role at the end of the month, though police would not say where he was going.
After his departure, his position would be advertised.
He took up the post of CIB head in late 2016, having previously worked as a liaison officer in Canberra, within the New Zealand organised and financial crime agency and as a detective in Auckland.
Det Insp Low was earlier this year Southern district field crime manager.
She was the public face of a homicide investigation in February after a man was charged with murder and a woman stood accused as an accessory following the discovery of a decomposed body in a rural area north of Dunedin.
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Congratulates Detective Inspector Low for holding the position not because you are a female holding the position but for being appointed the position while the holder is on leave, I question would the ODT run an article if it was a male holding the fort? I don't think so. Women are equal, they hold senior positions in any work force and in my experience a hell of a lot are far superior at the job than a lot of males are. Having an article on this is really saying people still consider woman inferior so we'll boost them up by publishing an article on it. No need Males and Females are equal and it is about time we all understood this and treated it as the norm and not as the exception as it is obviously considered here