NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb vows to stare down detractors and finish her term

In an exclusive interview, Police Commissioner Karen Webb has vowed to stay in the top job, and hit out at leakers after a week of criticism over taxpayer-billed gin gifts worth $11,000.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb has declared she is not going anywhere and won’t bow down to “faceless cowards” working behind the scenes to destabilise her.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal “the process has begun” to lodge a complaint with the NSW Police Professional Standards Command to investigate what the Police Commissioner believes are detractors releasing sensitive information.

The Commissioner would not comment on the complaint, but said: “It does need to stop. I’m happy to be accountable and I do think those faceless cowards also need to be accountable.”

The extraordinary move comes after a week of sustained criticism over taxpayer expenditure on gin gifts and failure to disclose her personal relationship with the supplier.

The allegations were released in parliament by crossbench MP Rod Roberts as part of a series of questions on notice for the police force, tabled in parliament on Tuesday.

A defiant NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb at her office Picture: Richard Dobson

In an exclusive interview, Commissioner Webb conceded she would do some things differently but said the scandal was a distraction from the important work of police.

On a day where she released her gin gift register after unrelenting pressure, the state’s top cop said she didn’t lose any sleep at night thinking about who was working against her, but said she was angry about the “unnecessary distraction” from her real work and the effect it would have on police officers across the state.

Ms Webb arrives at the Commissioned Officers Dinner with Police Minister Yasmin Catley on Friday night. Picture: Matrix

“It’s not only detrimental to me but damaging to the organisation,” she said.

“If you are a person, young or old, looking at joining the police and you watch this, why would you?”

On the anniversary week of her 37 years in the NSW Police Force, the Commissioner came under fire for spending more than $11,000 of taxpayer funds on 50 bottles of personalised gin and 200 gift boxes to give to visiting dignitaries.

The Daily Telegraph obtained an invoice detailing the cost of alcohol and boxes ordered from Hope Estate in the Hunter Valley in November 2022 as former cop turned Upper House MP Rod Roberts alleged in parliament that the gin was “used” by Ms Webb herself and her personal staff.

Mr Roberts also demanded that Commissioner Webb release documents showing the full list of dignitaries who received the taxpayer-funded personalised gin.

The commissioner also copped criticism for buying alcohol from Michael Hope, a longtime friend and not declaring the relationship.

A copy of Ms Webb's gin gift register. Picture: NSW Police

Commissioner Webb said she was deeply offended by accusations under parliamentary privilege that she had consumed the gin with senior colleagues.

“They were calling me an alcoholic in the gallery apparently. That feels personal,” she said.

“The values of a police officer are a long way from that behaviour.”

Ms Webb said she expected tough days as a commissioner and has “had my fair share”, but never once has she considered resigning.

But the saga was distracting her from doing her job and leading the organisation.

“I’m halfway through my tenure and I’ve got so much more work to do,” she said.

“I’m worried that I’m running out of time to get it done, but I still have two and a half years

She said being the first female commissioner of NSW was always going to be tough.

“You don’t realise how tough that will be until you’re in it, but I’m tough, I’ve got 37 years in this organisation, I had my anniversary two days ago, so I think I am seasoned,” she said.

“I think legitimately because of the impact this is having on the brand it (the undermining) does need to stop.”

Asked whether she thought the spending on the gin excessive, Ms Webb said: “It’s proportionate spending and maintaining an ongoing pre-existing relationship, and the etiquette or arrangement is used widely in the private and public sector across the globe.”

The label on the Commissioner’s Gin. Picture: Supplied

She conceded she would have not approved the cost of the 200 Tasmanian oak boxes that brought the price up by another $6704, had she realised the price at the time.

“I wasn’t involved in the detail and the events team set about making it a boxed gift. In hindsight, if I had seen it at that time I wouldn’t have chosen it,” she said.

She said she didn’t physically endorse the cost of either the gin or the boxes and didn’t see the invoices, as they were signed by a staff member.

“The delegation structure means something of that value wouldn’t make it to me,” she said.

She said the gin arrangement all started after a discussion with former commissioner Mick Fuller in the job handover in November 2021.

Mr Fuller told her he got his Commissioner’s Signature Shiraz from Hope Estate.

A few months later she had a “passing” conversation with her friend Michael Hope, and the topic of the gift came up.

She then directed her events team staff months later to arrange a commissioner’s gift, but made no mention of Hope, or any other suppliers: “I didn’t give them any instructions at all.”

Commissioner Webb said she regretted not alerting the Police Minister to the fact the gin was being purchased through Hope Estate, people she had a friendship with, once she found out.

She also said it was important not to have her name on the bottles “so whoever was the commissioner could use it, not aged or limited to my tenure”.

Ms Webb says she wants the distraction dealt with so she can get on with her job of leading the NSW Police force. Picture: Richard Dobson

Commissioner Webb defended not talking about the LECC investigation last September, saying she was “directed not to discuss it”.

She said she only received the report on August 6 and personally spoke to the LECC chief commissioner and commissioner asking for a variation to the non-publication order “for transparency”.

“I get a clip (from LECC) for not declaring and that’s OK, and I would rather be transparent about it,” she said.

Commissioner Webb is adamant she is good at her job, and determined to continue as head of the organisation that looks after a 22,000-strong workforce.

She said despite claims the workforce was bleeding staff, she was proud there had been a 42 per cent increase in applications to join the police and 300-strong classes un upcoming graduations.

She said she was proud of the work she had done in police welfare, and improving the way the force approached domestic violence, sexual assaults and the crackdown on organised crime.

“This won’t stop me, my job is to lead this organisation and that’s what I intend to do.”
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