Police confirmed yesterday Superintendent Mike Pannett was one of three district commanders who had been provisionally appointed to join the executive team in at Police National Headquarters in Wellington.
National operations deputy commissioner Mike Clement said Supt Pannett had been appointed international services and national security assistant commissioner.
It was a new post, established following the division of investigations, international services and national security portfolio.
Auckland city district commander Superintendent Richard Chambers had been appointed investigations assistant commissioner.
Supt Pannett joined the Southern district in January, after four years in Washington DC, where he was chairman of the Washington DC Liaison Office Association, which covered North, Central and South America.
He was preceded by Andrew Coster, who spent 22 months as the head of the district before leaving to join the national executive as strategy and transformation assistant commissioner.
A police spokeswoman said it would be premature for Supt Pannett to give interviews on the appointment until it was confirmed.
There was no firm date for his move to Wellington but ``we anticipate it will be later this year'', she said.
In the third position announced yesterday, Waitemata district commander Superintendent Bill Searle will become prevention assistant commissioner.
Former Dunedin officer David Trappitt was previously acting in that role.
Mr Clement said that relieving arrangements for the district commanders' positions would be ``announced in due course''.
In response to a question about the turnover rate of district commanders in the south, the police spokeswoman said, ``Southern district is fortunate to have had two recent district commanders whose leadership skills have been recognised through appointment to a more senior role.''
