Canterbury’s former District Commander John Price accused of ‘insidious’ bullying, intimidation, exclusion

Months before Canterbury’s top police officer John Price retired, a raft of concerns were raised about “unacceptable behaviour”, including allegations of bullying and discrimination of staff, it’s been revealed.

Staff reported they believed Price was a “Jekyll and Hyde” character who had “an A-Team and a B-Team” and oversaw what they described as a “culture of fear”, which included “intimidation, exclusion, passive-aggressive and insidious behaviour”.

Police have refused to comment on the matter, citing “privacy reasons”, while Price did not respond to multiple messages from NZME.

Price was Canterbury District Commander until March 2023, when he moved to “an executive leadership role” with the National Emergency Management Agency.

He had been with the police for 36 years, at the helm of the district through major events including the 2011 earthquake, the 2019 terror attack and the Port Hills fires in 2017.

It can now be revealed that in 2022 multiple people formally reported concerns about Price through Kia Tu - a mechanism for staff to report “behaviour is serious” or, in situations where attempts to deal with problems informally have not resulted in resolution.

Concerns are assessed by an “independent triage panel” that recommends the best pathway for resolution.

Kia Tu is not a complaints process - but a way for staff to share concerns confidentially.

The Herald has viewed a report that summarised the experiences the complainants reported and their views on what happened.

“The purpose of this Kia Tu report is to inform Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura of concerns raised in relation to [alleged] unacceptable behaviour by Superintendent John Price; highlight key concerns and impact of the behaviour reflected by (the complainants); recommend pathways and actions to address the behaviour,” the report stated.

In summarising the experiences some complainants reported, and their views on what happened, the report said the “behaviour includes intimidation, exclusion, passive-aggressive and insidious behaviour that has undermined and denigrated employees… predominantly directed towards female employees and female constabulary employees.”

The “common recurring themes and concerns” raised about Price included passive-aggressive or covert bullying, exclusion, lack of support for women, and “use of formal power to intimidate”.

Price's service was officially recognised when he was made an Officer of the Most Venerable Order of St John (OStJ) in 2020, and an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2021. Photo / Supplied

The report stated that given the scope of the concerns, and the number of complainants - their accounts were “collected for escalation” to Kura.

“It is critical to note that several… particularly those who continue to work in Canterbury have expressed serious concern that by formally raising these matters they are exposing themselves to risk of retaliatory and further exclusionary behaviour that could impact on future development and employment opportunities,” it said.

“The majority… report that the behaviour they are experiencing is chronic, having spanned for many years, and are ongoing to [the date the report was generated].

“There is a general agreement… that there are other police employees with similar experiences who do not currently feel safe/able to raise their concerns.”

The report writer noted that the complainants alleged “a duality” in Price’s behaviour and conduct - and “multiple” people described him as a “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” character.

“For example… being praised by Superintendent Price in front of visitors, and then in other settings, being publicly berated and criticised in meetings in front of colleagues,” they stated.

They also referred to an A-Team and a B-Team in the Canterbury district.

“Those who speak out about concerns or challenge Superintendant Price are felt to be part of the B-Team,” the report said.

“One… expressed that they don’t contribute as much as they would anymore, because they fear being intimidated, verbally put down or harshly criticised.”

Price was with police for 36 years before retiring in 2023 and taking up a new role with the National Emergency Management Agency. Photo / George Heard

Others claimed they had experienced “ostracisation, exclusionary and dismissive behaviours” by Price, including feeling that they were being “dismissed or shut down in conversation”.

“(Those) who reported experiencing these ostracising and exclusionary behaviours… could trace these back to a specific time or incident where their relationship with Superintendant Price changed,” the report said.

Complainants also described to Kia Tu what they felt was a “culture of fear” within the Canterbury policing district.

The report writer concluded that their view of the concerns raised through Kia Tu fell “into the categories of bullying and unacceptable behaviour”.

“It is… repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a group of employees that has led to psychological harm,” they noted.

The report writer suggested Price should be informed as soon as possible about the allegations and issues raised by “an appropriately senior person”.

A number of recommendations were also made for Deputy Commissioner Kura’s consideration. The first was that she noted there were multiple complaints from a range of police staff who believed they had been bullied by Price.

Those allegations came from men and women both within and outside the Canterbury district.

Another recommendation was that Kura notes all of the complainants had advised Kia Tu of “their serious concerns in relation to their safety, wellbeing and future employment opportunities when matters are addressed with Superintendent Price”.

And, finally, she endorsed the action that an executive member of the police “address the matters outlined” in the document with Price.

Commissioner of Police Andrew Coster and Canterbury District Commander Superintendent John Price. Photo / Supplied

A source with knowledge of the Kia Tu process spoke to the Herald - under the condition of anonymity.

They claimed they had experienced and witnessed people being bullied and belittled by Price.

The source believed that Price “broke people” and that “every day was a fearful day”.

“He knew he had the power and control over everybody.”

The Herald understands the Kia Tu report was received by police upper management.

It did not result in a formal investigation into Price.

He announced his retirement in February 2023.

Price did not respond to multiple requests from NZME for comment.

Police refused to answer any questions about the matter including whether any action was taken as a result of the Kia Tu report, and who - if anyone - in the executive addressed the concerns raised with Price as recommended.

“Police will not be responding to this query for privacy reasons,” a spokeswoman said.

Price was at the helm of the Canterbury police district during the 2011 quake, 2017 Port Hills fire and 2019 terror attack. Photo / George Heard

When his retirement was announced, Price said it had been “an absolute privilege to serve” in the police for almost four decades.

His service was officially recognised when he was made an Officer of the Most Venerable Order of St John (OStJ) in 2020, and an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2021.

“I’m extremely grateful to the talented, professional and dedicated staff I’ve had the pleasure of working with throughout my career,” he said.

“I’ve made incredible relationships and partnerships with some very special people and groups, and this has been the fuel that has given me the energy and passion for policing over the last eight years it is always about our people and our community.”

Commissioner Andrew Coster sang Price’s praises saying he’d made an “enormous” contribution to the police, navigating the “unique challenges” in the Canterbury district well.

“I sincerely thank him for his service to police, to the communities he has served and for his personal support to me as Commissioner,” he said.

“New Zealand Police wish Superintendent Price all the best in his new role.”

Jaime Cunningham is a Christchurch-based reporter with a focus on wellbeing, social issues and general news. Jaime joined Newstalk ZB in 2023, after working as a sports reporter at the Christchurch Star. She has a Bachelor of Communications degree from the University of Canterbury.

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz