Karen Webb’s last day on the job as NSW’s top cop
Karen Webb is handing over the reins as NSW’s top cop, with her deputy Peter Thurtell to take over as NSW Police Acting Commissioner from today.
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Karen Webb is handing over the reins as NSW’s top cop, with her deputy Peter Thurtell to take over as NSW Police Acting Commissioner from today.
While Ms Webb will not officially resign until September 30, today is her last day working as Police Commissioner.
She is expected to take a period of leave before her resignation takes effect.
Ms Webb will walk straight into another government job, helping roll out a major domestic violence program.
She initially flagged that she wanted to take up a job in DV prevention when The Daily Telegraph broke the news she would quit.
“I am in discussions with the government about working in critical areas specifically around women’s safety and domestic violence,” Ms Webb told police at the time.
The Telegraph last month revealed that Ms Webb was planning to announce her retirement on May 18 — 38 years to the day since she walked into the Goulburn Police Academy.
However after the Telegraph revealed her plans, Commissioner Webb emailed police across the state on May 7 to confirm her impending departure, saying that being the state’s first female top cop had been her “greatest honour”.
She also told the police force she had recommended to Premier Chris Minns that he put Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell in her place while he determines a permanent replacement.
Her three-year tenure in the top position was not without controversy however, often overshadowed by criticism of her public performance.
Her response to the manslaughter of of 95-year-old Clare Nowland at the hands of police officer Kristian White was her first major drama.
The second was her handling of the of the alleged double murder of Jesse Baird and Luke Davis, when she said she was “grateful” to accused killer Beau Lamarre-Condon for cooperating with investigators.
She tried to shake off the backlash at the time by quoting Taylor Swift lyrics: “the haters (are) gonna hate” while live on breakfast television.
She was also at the centre of a major investigation by the police watchdog, after she bought thousands of dollars worth of gin and giftboxes with taxpayer funds, and later gave them out as gifts.
Originally published as Karen Webb’s last day on the job as NSW’s top cop
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