Tributes for trailblazer’s turbulent time as top cop
Alex Mitchell and Farid Farid |
The scandal-plagued NSW police force has been thrown into further disarray with its trailblazing chief quitting her post, prompting a search for a new media-savvy leader.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb will finish on September 30 after a three-year tenure in charge of the force’s 20,000 employees.
Being the first female police commissioner had been her greatest honour, she said.
“I knew when the time was right I would know,” she said on Wednesday.
“I wanted to give the state government time to recruit and appoint a new commissioner going into an election period in less than two years’ time.”
She had planned to make the announcement on May 18, commemorating the date she walked into the Goulburn Police Academy 38 years ago.
But continuing the trend of a turbulent tenure, the news was leaked on Wednesday, forcing her and the government to respond.
Several possible candidates have been floated as successors including Mel Lanyon, head of the state’s Reconstruction Authority, deputy commissioner and counter-terrorism chief David Hudson and assistant commissioner Gavin Wood.
Michael Kennedy, a former detective with the police force for two decades who worked alongside Ms Webb, described her resignation as a “tragedy” driven by conservative and politically motivated media commentators.
“Webb made changes for the better – not for her, but for the institution,” the Western Sydney University professor told AAP.
“She’s not a movie star, she’s not a celebrity and she refuses to court the media.”
Premier Chris Minns was also effusive in his praise, saying her four decades with the force was a historic run.
“Commissioner Webb has stood tall in moments of crisis, led significant reforms to policing and staunchly defended law and order in this state,” he said.
“She leaves behind a legacy of substance – both as the first female Police Commissioner of NSW and as someone who made lasting changes in that position.”
Police Minister Yasmin Catley told parliament the departing top cop would remain for several months longer to allow a comprehensive search for her successor.
Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell has been pencilled in as interim commissioner.
Opposition police spokesman Paul Toole insisted a new leader needed to be found quickly to instil a message of strength to the public and the force.
“Whoever that might be in the future … not only could be a competent police officer but someone who can stand up in front of the media,” he told reporters.
The commissioner’s resignation comes a day after former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush was appointed to lead Victoria Police, after its commissioner quit in February.
Ms Webb has had to contend with several crises during her short reign.
A debilitating shortage of officers blew out to several thousand unfilled positions before she announced recruits would be paid to train from late 2023.
Alongside Ms Catley, she penned a massive pay increase of up to 40 per cent in 2024, making rank-and-file officers among the best paid in Australia.
Ms Webb also made headlines for the wrong reasons.
She was widely criticised for her initial response to the fatal tasering of 95-year-old Clare Nowland in 2023 at Cooma in southern NSW.
A media release from her office after the incident did not mention a Taser was used and simply said Ms Nowland had “sustained injuries during an interaction with police”.
She raised eyebrows in 2024 when invoking a Taylor Swift song lyric, saying “haters are gonna hate”, after being asked about leadership concerns when two men were allegedly shot dead by a serving police officer.
AAP
