The Source: Is a Kiwi the best man to fill the shoes of Victoria’s top cop?
With the clock well and truly ticking to find Victoria’s new police chief commissioner, it seems the top brass are taking their hunt abroad to deepen the city’s apparent shallow talent pool.
The Source
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Putting the squeeze on Victoria’s movers, shakers and headline makers
The clock is ticking to find a new Victoria Police Chief Commissioner and one name being mentioned among insiders is New Zealander Mike Bush.
Mr Bush served as his country’s Chief Commissioner from 2014 to 2020 and is regarded as a distinguished law enforcement figure internationally.
He joined New Zealand Police in 1978 and worked in frontline and criminal investigation roles.
Mr Bush was a New Years Honours recipient for his work in Thailand on the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and made major changes to operating models and culture as a commissioner from 2014.
He would later serve two terms as Chief Commissioner, during some of New Zealand’s most horrific events of recent years.
In 2019, a gunman shot 51 people dead at two mosques in the city of Christchurch.
Also in that year, six people were killed in the White Island volcano eruption.
After retiring, he led New Zealand’s All-of-Government Response Group for the Covid pandemic.
The Source contacted Mr Bush this week but he did not respond.
That means nothing either way so all we can advise is to stay tuned.
The deadline to appoint a new Victorian Chief Commissioner expires in June.
It is a sticky situation which began when the State Government chose to tell the incumbent Shane Patton that his time was up and he would get no second term.
Rick Nugent was handed the interim position and looked long odds-on to have the job full-time when he abruptly withdrew his interest last week.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson, who many regarded as capable of doing the top job, had been dispensed with.
Candidates to take over would certainly have a bit to think about with youth crime and problems with staff recruitment and retention among some major challenges.
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