‘No pushover’: Favourite emerges for new Victorian police chief

Career police officer Tracy Linford is one of the favourites for Victoria’s next chief commissioner, with an announcement expected as early as next week.

Linford served 31 years with Victoria Police before being head-hunted by the Queensland force in 2015 to serve as assistant commissioner in charge of intelligence, counterterrorism and major events command.

Queensland police Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford.Credit: QPS

She was quickly promoted, in 2017, to deputy commissioner of crime, counterterrorism and specialist operations.

Linford has expertise in organised crime, child exploitation and terrorism.

At Victoria Police, she helped restructure the approach to Melbourne’s gangland war and modernised Victoria’s criminal intelligence systems. She has also run large regional police districts, including Frankston and Warrnambool.

After a damning 2022 report into the culture and discipline systems of the Queensland Police Service, Linford and Commissioner Katarina Carroll declared a line in the sand moment and have worked since to professionalise the force.

While the Victorian government has not told police command who has been selected, a senior police source said: “Nothing is confirmed, but everything points to Tracy. She is popular and has integrity. It would be a good choice. She’s favourite, but favourites can get beaten.”

If Linford were appointed, she would follow the same career path as Neil Comrie, a senior Victorian officer who became assistant commissioner in Queensland before being head-hunted by the Kennett government to return as Victoria’s police chief.

Former Victorian colleagues of Linford described her as “decent, highly regarded, intelligent, easy to work with” and “considered”.

“She’s no pushover,” said one source.

In Queensland, she was the police representative on the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee; Australia and New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing; Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation; Australian Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime Committee; National Crime Intelligence System Steering Committee; and the Major Events Executive Committee.

The candidates for the Victoria job included Linford, two other interstate senior officers, two serving Victorian officers, the head of an emergency services department and an international commissioner. Former deputy commissioner Sir Ken Jones was considering applying, but, now aged in his 70s, was considered too old to complete a five-year term.

Whoever gets the job will come in at a tough time, with the government committed to reducing police spending, while command looks to increase recruiting and slow a brain drain as hundreds of experienced officers consider quitting. They will also have to deal with an archaic IT system that still has police faxing documents to court.

Shane Patton officially remains in the role as police chief until June.Credit: Paul Jeffers

The successful candidate will replace Shane Patton, who was told earlier this year his contract would not be renewed. But he is still officially in the role until the end of June, which may delay the official start date of the new boss.

The government was blindsided when interim Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent said he would not be applying for the permanent position.

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