From the NT to the AFP’s top job: Who is Reece Kershaw?

THE Territory’s top cop who is moving on to become the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police has had a decorated career spanning the world

NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw will take over as the Australian Federal Police Commissioner. Picture: Keri Megelus

THE Territory’s top cop who is moving on to become the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police has had a decorated career spanning the world.

Mr Kershaw has worked in top jobs within the NT Police Force since February 2011.

In April 2015 he was made the NT Police Commissioner and chief executive of Fire and Rescue and Emergency Services.

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Mr Kershaw took over the force when it was reeling from controversy involving several top cops.

Former Commissioner John McRoberts stood aside after allegations arose that he was involved in a cover up to protect his lover, crooked travel agent Xana Kamitsis from a police investigation.

McRoberts was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice in 2018.

Former Chief Minister Adam Giles said in 2015, Mr Kershaw was the standout candidate in the global search for McRoberts’s replacement.

Mr Kershaw said that the saga, which was investigated by the AFP, had “wounded” the force.

Mr Kershaw’s service in the NT Police included holding the positions of Assistant Commissioner Crime and Specialist Services and Darwin Metropolitan Services.

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Mr Kershaw began his career with the Australian Federal Police.

His career has seen him seconded to the National Crime Authority in Perth, the Australian Crime Commission and overseas postings to The Hague, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

Mr Kershaw is a graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.