Karen Webb sworn-in as first female police commissioner at Boorowa ceremony

NSW’s first female police commissioner has returned to her “true home” to be sworn in, inspiring a new generation of cops amid the cermonial splendour.

Karen Webb wanted her swearing in as the state’s first female Police Commissioner to be back at Boorowa.

It is there, in the classrooms of Boorowa Central School that she was educated, under the trees of the local park designed by her late-father Frank that she played, and on the town’s roads when going for her drivers licence with local cop John Stone that she was inspired to join.

By returning to Boorowa exactly forty years later with a Polair helicopter, a fleet of horses, the police band, and the Premier and Governor by her side, Commissioner Webb said she wanted to show the kids of her town today they could achieve anything.

New Police Commissioner, Karen Webb with Boorowa Central School students Digby Merriman, 7, Harper Maine, 7, Josie Munns, 6, and Grace Crawford, 7. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“Boorowa holds a special place in my heart as it is my hometown,” Ms Webb told the crowd.

“It is where my family made their home and where we developed our values, I’m exceptionally proud to call Boorowa my true home.

“Hopefully there are students here today, and perhaps children yet to start their schooling, who will one day join the New South Wales Police Force, and perhaps we will be fortunate to have another Commissioner who began their journey in Boorowa.”

A young Karen Webb during her time at Boorowa Central School.

From schoolgirl to hometown hero.

But the new top cop’s desire to inspire future generations is hardly a new thing.

Among the hundreds gathered were Ms Webb’s nieces Hayley and Brooke, both of them constables in the police force who admitted it was their aunty who first suggested they consider policing as a career.

“She gave us a subtle nudge, never pressured us into it but you know, to get to sit-down with her throughout career when we were growing up, that was definitely inspiring,” Hayley said.

“I think the biggest thing for me that she said was just about the opportunities in the force.

“Even today, I’ve been edging towards three years and everyday I find a new avenue that exists in the force, and she just had nothing but good things to say about her career so I think she just wanted that for us too.

“It’s a bit of a pinch me moment (to see her become Commissioner) … to bring it full circle back here as well, it’s incredible, we’re very proud of her.”

Constables Hayley Keefe and Brooke Keefe followed in their aunt Karen’s footsteps. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Much like a US President, Ms Webb said she had set out a focus for her “first 100 days” to learn the ins and outs of the force.

While she said she has no intention to “turn the place upside down”, a key focus will be cyber crime and the ability of police to target increasingly savvy criminals.

“I think my first 100 days will be just having a good look around the organisation, seeing what works and what doesn’t,” Ms Webb said.

“The way a crime is committed has evolved and is changing all the time and so the police force needs to continue to adapt.. and one of the biggest challenges is technology.”

Excitement abounds as the kids of Boorowa meet police horses and check out the PolAir helicopter. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Despite only officially taking up the role on Tuesday, Ms Webb made her first mark on the force in mid-January when she sacked one of her most experienced Deputy Commissioners, Mick Willing, the man she pipped to take the top job.

“I’ve got 22,000 employees and they’re employed in a various range of employment arrangements,” she said.

“I don’t want to get into someone’s employment situation. People come and go throughout this organisation quite often, so the employment situation is not something that I talk about. My job now is to get on with running the organisation, with forming my team, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

Webb’s appointment was the first major decision of Premier Dominic Perrottet’s tenure and he said he had been nothing but impressed by her.

“I think she’s started really well, she’s hit the ground running,” Mr Perrottet told The Daily Telegraph.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet joined Karen Webb at the swearing in ceremony. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“There’s no doubt in my mind that she has the experience, let alone the integrity and the honesty, that the NSW Police Force needs at this time.

“It’s difficult in the circumstances that there’s outstanding candidates everywhere, but with her leadership, integrity (and) honesty, it sets her up in my view to serve the 17,000 police officers and the 8 million people across our state really well.

“There’s been challenging times around the gangs and there has been some success already, immediately a two day operation … there is no place for that crime on our streets.

“And one of the great aspects of the NSW Police Force is that if you look at crime rates across NSW, they’re at historic lows and that’s a testament to every man and woman who served across our state everyday and I know they all have the utmost respect for Karen and her leadership skills will stand our state in good stead.”