State turns to Kiwi to overhaul embattled police force
Melissa Meehan and Callum Godde |
An outsider has been tasked with leading one state’s troubled police force out of the mire after months of top-level staffing woes.
Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush has been named Victoria’s next chief commissioner and will take over on June 27.
He will serve a five-year term.
Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February, with a no confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job.
The state government installed Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent as acting chief while it searched for a replacement.
Mr Nugent was viewed as a frontrunner for the vacant role but pulled out after admitting he didn’t have the drive to commit to a five-year term.
Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Mr Bush takes over, with Mr Nugent stepping down.
The force has not appointed a top cop from outside Victoria Police since former NSW police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001.
Ms Nixon described Mr Bush as a calm and considered leader.
“He’ll be very focused on working with the Victorian community, members of Victoria Police and the government to … push things to the future,” she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Mr Bush retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after six years in the top job. He joined the force in 1978, spending his career on the frontline and criminal investigation branch.
During his tenure as New Zealand police commissioner, Mr Bush was celebrated for decreasing the country’s crime rate following a shift to a focus on prevention instead of prosecution.
Mr Bush oversaw the police response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, when 51 people were killed by an Australian gunman.
He also led the force during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2019 Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption, which killed 22 people, including 14 Australians.
Mr Bush made headlines in 2022 when he unsuccessfully applied to become the head of the Metropolitan Police in the UK, and it was uncovered he had a drink-driving conviction.
He was a 23-year-old detective constable at the time and disqualified from driving for six months.
After leaving the police, Mr Bush became a private investigator and ran his own international consulting firm.
Premier Jacinta Allan said her government had “picked the right man for the job”.
“Mike Bush will bring new leadership to Victoria Police,” she rold reporters on Tuesday.
“He made the community safer in New Zealand and he’ll make the community safer in Victoria.”
Opposition police spokesman David Southwick said the new commissioner must not be set up to fail, and be able to carry out the job without political interference.
“He must be given the funding, the promised police numbers, and the powers required to do the job effectively,” Mr Southwick said.
AAP
