Former top cop Mick Fuller thanks ‘all police I worked with’

Mick Fuller has been awarded an Order of Australia for distinguished services to law enforcement.

Former NSW police commissioner. Picture: Nick Cubbin

After five years as the state’s top cop, former NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller has been awarded an Order of Australia for distinguished services to law enforcement.

Mr Fuller, who officially retired in April, told The Australian he shared the award “with all the police I worked with over my 34-year career”. “It’s also a great recognition to my family and friends, who were central to my success and therefore my failures,” he said.

Mr Fuller launched his career as a constable at Kogarah and he was a detective in Kings Cross in the late 1980s before rising to become one of the youngest commissioners of the NSW force.

Mr Fuller played a leading role in the response to the 2014 Lindt Cafe siege and earned a reputation as a strong and aggressive operator, as well as a passionate advocate against domestic violence and alcohol-related crime.

After three decades of police service, Mr Fuller surprised many when he was appointed to the commissioner’s role at age 49 with a mandate to introduce “generational change” after years of infighting within NSW police ranks.

In 2017, he said taking on the role of commissioner was the “greatest honour” of his career, and promised a statewide crackdown on terrorism, drugs and organised crime. At the time, he said his reforms would include remodelling of the 16,000-officer force, and he announced a special force to prevent lone-wolf terrorism.

During his five-year term he backed new affirmative sexual consent laws that passed the NSW parliament in November 2021.

When NSW was plunged into its first pandemic lockdown, Mr Fuller was appointed to lead the state’s emergency response and he supported a crackdown of public health orders in August 2021.

He was also responsible for the state’s hotel quarantine scheme and heavily criticised for the enforcement of lockdown restrictions in Sydney’s western suburbs.

In an outgoing interview with The Australian, Mr Fuller warned adult sexual assault and child sexual assault remained the “two big issues for society”. “They are devastating, terrible crimes and we need to focus on them, but they are difficult to prevent.”

Karen Webb was sworn in last February as the state’s first female commissioner, replacing Mr Fuller.