Peter Dutton appoints NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw to lead Australian Federal Police

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has announced who will take over from Andrew Colvin as commissioner of the Australian Federal Police.

HOME Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has announced that current Northern Territory Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw will be the next Australian Federal Police Commissioner.

Mr Kershaw will replace Andrew Colvin, who is retiring after a 30-year policing, in October.

He started his career with the AFP, moving across the country in a range of operational and intelligence roles.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton and newly appointed Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Mr Kershaw was also chief of operations with the United Nations police operation in East Timor and represented the AFP at The Hague in the Netherlands.

He has been NT Police Commissioner since 2015.

AFP deputy commissioner stood down

AFP tried to fingerprint two journalists

Rape claim against senior officer investigated

Mr Dutton said the Mr Kershaw had already had an “extremely distinguished policing and public service career”.

“He’s represented his country and the Territory with the great respect of those who have served under him and I’m very pleased that he has accepted the offer to become the next commissioner,” he said.

Mr Kershaw said under his leadership the priorities of the AFP would remain counter-terrorism and national security as well as targeting organised crime.

Mr Kershaw will focus initially on supporting frontline officers. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

“My initial focus will be around making sure those frontline officers in the AFP are supported with the right training, right technology, the right equipment, that the operating model of the organisation is fit for purpose for now and in the future and also that the health and wellbeing of all staff is examined in relation to those strategies and support mechanisms,” he said.

He did not comment specifically on the recent AFP raids of journalists from Newscorp and the ABC, saying that he would wait until he started the job in October for his incoming commissioner’s brief.

“My style is that the minister’s office will not be informed pre-operation unless it was something of national security that required that,” he said

“And in relation to media freedoms, I believe in democracy and that’s the approach I’ll take.”

Originally published as Peter Dutton appoints NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw to lead Australian Federal Police