Meet the six ‘top cops’ fighting it out to fill Karen Webb’s shoes as NSW Police commissioner
Who will replace Karen Webb? The NSW Police chief race is heating up, with six contenders vying to become the most powerful police officer in the state. See who they are.
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The race to become the most powerful police officer in the state has descended into a fierce political battle - as six candidates fight it out for the title of NSW Police Commissioner.
Half a dozen men have firmed as the final candidates to replace outgoing top cop Karen Webb, when she departs in September.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter, Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, Deputy Commissioner Paul Pisanos, Assistant Commissioner Rod Smith, Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell and former Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing, are vying to become top cop.
Previous commissioners races have proved police can play politics just as well as the parliamentarians, and that is again the case with rumours of dodgy tactics to undermine the candidates flying across the force.
It is understood several complaints lobbed with the secretive Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) in recent weeks, each of them anonymous but presumably sent by rivals within the 16,000 strong police force. None of the complaints are understood to have led to any action.
This week, interviews were carried out by senior public servants, Premier’s Department secretary Simon Draper, Cabinet Office secretary Kate Boyd and Department of Communities and Justice secretary, Michael Tidball.
The key priorities discussed inside the Premiers Department headquarters on Phillip St were improving police relations with the media, youth crime, the culture of the force and retention.
“I think they’re looking for someone who can stabilise the police force, and someone who can look after the joint,” one source said.
The interviews are the first round of grilling each candidate will get; the panel of public servants is expected to narrow down the field, before politicians step in to make the final call.
Technically, the appointment is the gift of the Police Minister. In reality, it has always been a Premier’s pick.
Ever since Karen Webb announced her retirement, the main front runner has been Mal Lanyon.
His policing resume, aided by recent experience working as head of the Reconstruction Authority, may have Lanyon as the favourite, but some suggest being in the lead at this stage is not always a good thing.
“The favourite rarely wins, history shows that,” one police source said.
Next in line depends on who you talk to, but is logically one of the two deputy commissioners - Peter Thurtell or Paul Pisanos.
Pisanos is seen as an “underdog,” a tag he may be happy about.
“Pisanos is well and truly in the frame, based on his priorities and how they align with this government,” a source said. But if they go outside of those two (Lanyon and Pisanos), I think they’ll go to Thurtell, in a holding role for a few years.”
Thurtell was expected to retire this year, but those plans went out the window when Karen Webb pulled the pin, and he was made acting commissioner. Experienced, respected and well liked, Thurtell is seen as a winning chance should Lanyon fall over.
The most recognisable name on the list may be the only person not currently employed by NSW Police – Mick Willing. The former Deputy Commissioner was an unbackable favourite last time around only to be pipped at the post by Webb, who then unceremoniously punted him.
When Willing announced his candidacy in a LinkedIn post last month, he was flooded with support from current and former cops alike.
“He’s the only one that has outside private sector experience, and has the interests of the frontline cops and their mental health, at the forefront of everything he does,” a supporter said.
What may count against Willing are his four years out of the cops, and unsuccessful attempts to win jobs in the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police in that time.
While the focus is on Deputy Commissioners, it is not unheard of for Assistant Commissioners to skip a rank – just ask Mick Fuller.
As far as Assistant Commissioners go, they rarely come as credentialed as Peter Cotter.
Cotter is the former head of the Homicide Squad, the NSW Crime Commission, this year chalked up 40 years in the NSW Police Force.
Another Assistant Commissioner has also received an interview – Rod Smith.
Smith oversaw the Goulburn Police Academy, ideal experience at a time when the government is in need of answers to the force’s officer shortage of 3,000 positions.
A Smith win would be Steven Bradbury-esque, but as one candidate (not Smith) said this week: “Strange things happen in grand finals”.
Webb is still on massive salary
Karen Webb is still being paid her $680,000 per-year salary, but NSW Police has declared details of the benched Commissioner’s new job are a “personal matter” they want to keep secret.
Mystery has surrounded Ms Webb’s new role as a “Special Adviser” to Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison ever since Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell took over as the state’s acting top cop.
The Sunday Telegraph can now reveal the NSW Police Force holds just a single document relating to Ms Webb’s new job – which the agency will not release publicly.
In an extraordinary response to a freedom of information request, NSW Police has refused to release a “letter” relating to Ms Webb’s new job, declaring information about the employment of the state’s highest-paid public servant is a “personal matter”.
Ms Webb spent her last day on the job as Police Commissioner last month, but will not officially resign as Police Commissioner until September 30. The decision to withhold details about her new job appears to be based on a misunderstanding of her employment status.
“I have determined that information relating to employment of the outgoing Commissioner following her departure from this agency is the personal matter of the outgoing Commissioner,” a NSW Police “Senior Advisory Officer” said in responding to the Telegraph’s freedom of information request.
While Ms Webb has ceased her duties as commissioner, she is still employed in the role.
She has been parachuted in to advise Ms Harrison on domestic violence reform for three months, while the government looks for her permanent replacement as NSW Police Commissioner.
Ms Webb is set to earn more than $55,000 in salary during the three month appointment.
Acting Minister Kate Washington said the benched commissioner is “playing an important role in consulting with other jurisdictions to ensure we are taking informed action that works.
“Ms Webb will provide the Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault with a report at the end of her three months.”
Independent MP Rod Roberts, a chief critic of Ms Webb said the public deserves transparency. “She’s still an employee of NSW Police force, and she’s still being paid a substantial amount by NSW taxpayers. NSW Police should disclose all her employment conditions,” he said.
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Originally published as Meet the six ‘top cops’ fighting it out to fill Karen Webb’s shoes as NSW Police commissioner
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