‘When the time was right I would know’: Special reason NSW Police Commissioner Karren Webb breaks silence on stepping down

Commissioner Webb told news.com.au she had decided earlier this year to retire following discussions with her family.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has confirmed she will step down from her role as the state’s top cop.

Commissioner Webb told news.com.au she had decided earlier this year to retire following discussions with her family.

The Commissioner said her role as the first female police commissioner has been her greatest honour.

“I have recommended to the government that Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell act in my role,”

Commissioner Webb said.

“I knew when the time was right I would know, and I wanted to give the State Government time to recruit and appoint a new Commissioner going into an election period in less than two years’ time,” she said.

Commissioner Karen Webb has announced her resignation as NSW Police Commissioner, with May 18 as her final day, marking 38 years since she joined the police academy. Picture Thomas Lisson

Commissioner Webb will officially be farewelled from the force when she walks off the parade ground at the Goulburn Police Academy at the next attestation in August.

She had planned to announce her plans to retire on May 18 to commemorate the date she

walked into the Goulburn Police Academy 38 years ago.

The Commissioner is in discussions with the Government about working in critical areas specifically around women’s safety and domestic violence.

Commissioner Webb’s plans for announcing the end to her three-tear tenure in her own time were disrupted on Wednesday morning when news of her decision spread like wildfire among senior police and politicians.

Appointed the state’s first female commissioner in February 2022, Commissioner Webb beat fierce contenders Mick Willing and Mal Lanyon for the role.

During her tenure she has come under intense criticism particularly for her performances in front of the media.

She has overseen responses to the Bondi massacre, the alleged murders of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird by off-duty officer Beau Lamarre-Condon and she has copped criticism for her handling of the taser death of 95-year-old Clare Nowland.

Commissioner Webb plans to retire, leaving a legacy of reforms and initiatives to enhance police welfare and community safety. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said Commissioner Webb recently wrote to her indicating her intention to retire before the end of the year.

“She has provided a lengthy notice period to enable the Government to conduct a thorough recruitment process for her successor,” Ms Catley said.

“I have nothing but heartfelt thanks for her incredible work and admiration for her many significant achievements.”

The minister said Commissioner Webb had been “a force for change and reform” focussed on the safety and wellbeing of police. 

She will leave a significant legacy, including paid study for student police officers, a historic pay rise, full-time equivalent work allowing police to job share for the first time ever, the establishment of the Domestic and Family Violence Registry and the Pulse program and the creation of the Health Safety and Wellbeing Command.

In 2024, Commissioner Webb apologised for the force’s handling of gay hate crimes over 40 years.

“On behalf of the NSW Government, I thank Karen Webb for her extraordinary career of self-sacrifice and public service,” the Minister said

Sources close to the commissioner said the job had taken its toll of late and close confidantes were encouraging her to stand down, one even telling her “she has nothing to prove”.

In August last year Webb – who has always had a passion for domestic violence work and youth crime – vowed she wasn’t going anywhere and could not bow to “faceless cowards” working behind the scenes to destabilise her.

During her tenure, Commissioner Webb (left) faced criticism for her handling of significant cases, including the Bondi massacre and the alleged murders involving off-duty officer Beau Lamarre-Condon. Julian Andrews.

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

From the beginning, Commissioner Webb had to stare down two fierce competitors to earn former Premier Dominic Perrottet’s trust as the right person to lead the state’s 18,000 police officers and make history in the process as the first female top cop.

The appointment was not based on gender, Perrottet said. He was confident in Webb’s ability and thanked the “high-calibre” contenders – Mick Willing and Mal Lanyon.

The three-way battle to lead NSW’s police had played out amid much publicity in the months following Mick Fuller’s announcement he intended to resign after four years at the helm.

Ms Webb’s resignation will now surely spark a hotly contested and very public search for a new Police Commissioner.