By Perry Duffin, Jordan Baker, Amber Schultz and Alexandra Smith
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb says she has “nothing left to prove” after announcing her retirement following 38 years in the police force, with her former rival Mal Lanyon likely to replace her.
Speaking exclusively to the Herald, Webb acknowledged the working environment had been “tough” but said she was “proud” of what she had achieved during her three years as the state’s top cop.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb and Police Minister Yasmin Catley.Credit: Nine News
The state’s first female commissioner cited her landmark reforms around pay and working conditions for officers and domestic violence reforms as highlights of her career.
“I have nothing left to prove now, and I feel proud,” Webb said.
“The police have certainly changed in my 38 years for the better. It’s hard to see when you sit at the top, but the feedback I’ve been getting, even since this announcement today, is that it’s a better place for those reforms.”
Webb will retire on September 30, but Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell will act in the role from June while a replacement is found.
Deputy Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell will act in Webb’s role until her replacement is found.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Earlier this year, the commissioner rejected claims she would be retiring before the end of her five-year tenure amid criticism of her performance.
“I have laid some good foundations. The job for the next commissioner is to continue that work [and] I hope whoever it is continues to put the interest of the NSW Police first,” she said.
Webb had planned to announce her retirement on May 18, following discussions with her family, to coincide with her first day on the job in 1987. However, her retirement was announced in parliament on Wednesday following leaks to the media.
Webb sent internal communications to the force this morning confirming her resignation, stating she was in conversations with the government about work in women’s safety and domestic violence.
Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon is the firm front runner to replace Webb, multiple sources close to the government and senior police told this masthead on the condition of anonymity so they could speak freely.
Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon is a likely front runner to replace Karen Webb. Credit: Rhett Wyman
Lanyon was seconded to the NSW Reconstruction Authority in April last year. He has worked closely with the former chief executive of that authority, Simon Draper, who is now the secretary of the Premier’s Department.
He was also one of three final candidates for the job when it was given to Webb in 2022, but was hampered by a drunken incident in Goulburn while he was there for an attestation.
Other potential contenders include Deputy Commissioners Paul Pisanos and Dave Hudson, and Assistant Commissioners Peter McKenna and Scott Cook.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said Webb “has had an extremely distinguished career marked by exemplary service.
“I have nothing but heartfelt thanks for her incredible work and admiration for her many significant achievements,” she said.
“She has been a force for change and reform focused on the safety and the wellbeing of the NSW Police … When others would be happy to stick with the status quo, Karen Webb has strived for more. She is a true trailblazer.”
As commissioner, Webb has overseen responses to the Bondi massacre, the alleged murders of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird by off-duty officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, and the Dural caravan terror plot now suspected to be a “con job” fabricated by organised criminals.
Her focus as commissioner has been on children as both victims and perpetrators of crime, domestic violence and sexual assault, helping launch a new online sexual assault reporting system that allows victims to report incidents anonymously, and expanding the Family Liaison Officers program to better support victims and families of victims of crime.
Webb also apologised to victims of gay hate crimes and announced a new taskforce to re-examine hundreds of cold murder cases.
Police culture has also been a priority, with Webb announcing in November an independent review targeting serial sexual offenders within the force. The review, headed by former Victorian equal opportunity and human rights commissioner Kristen Hilton, will also examine gender issues, bullying, and mental health. Its findings, recommendations and executive summary will be made public, with the first reports due at the end of the year.
Webb’s landmark career achievement was scoring a historic pay rise for officers. The force was awarded a 19 per cent base pay increase over four years, helping recruit and retain officers. The reforms also allowed officers to job share, work part-time and have flexible work arrangements.
She also faced scrutiny for several public gaffes, including her handling of the alleged double murder of Baird and Davies by quoting Taylor Swift in a media interview, and purchasing thousands of dollars worth of gin as gifts, a decision currently being investigated by the police watchdog.
She was also criticised for her response to the death of 95-year-old grandmother Clare Nowland, who was Tasered in a Cooma nursing home by police officer Kristian White.
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman thanked Webb for her service in a statement.
“I thank Commissioner Webb for her long and loyal service in her various roles in the NSW Police Force. The Minns Labor government must now move quickly to confirm who will lead the force. Our police do an extraordinary job and deserve strong, steady leadership,” he said.
Opposition police spokesman Paul Toole also called for a swift replacement.
“If the commissioner is leaving, the government must act swiftly to confirm her replacement. This has been a challenging period, but right now, frontline officers need certainty and leadership. They serve our communities with professionalism and deserve the same from those at the top,” he said.
Police Association of NSW President Kevin Morton, who worked with Webb on the police pay increases, congratulated Webb on her years of service.
“As the first female police commissioner, Karen Webb APM has left an undeniable positive mark on the NSW Police Force and the landscape of policing in NSW,” he said.
“We now look to the government to move swiftly and to immediately start the process of appointing a new commissioner to continue the work of recruiting and retaining our police to ensure that the community of NSW is safe and has respect for our men and women in blue.”
With Max Maddison
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