New Victoria Police Chief Commissioner to be named within days

Victoria Police is set to announce a new chief commissioner within days, and a new leading contender has emerged in the race to replace Acting Chief Rick Nugent.

A frontrunner has emerged in the bid to find Victoria Police’s next chief commissioner.

After the Herald Sun revealed a new acting chief could be announced next week, inside sources said that ex-Queensland deputy commissioner Tracy Linford was a leading contender for the top job after several candidates were short-listed and vetted in final stage panel interviews.

The Herald Sun understands that the state’s new top cop will be unveiled on Monday or Tuesday, with Acting Chief Rick Nugent to depart the organisation by next Friday.

Five candidates made it to the panel interview stage, though the identity of the successful applicant has been kept very close.

But sources suggested Ms Linford was a leading contender.

Acting Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent will depart next week. Picture: David. Crosling

The veteran officer’s career spanned 31 years in Victoria before she left in 2015 to head up Queensland’s intelligence, counter-terrorism and major events commands.

Before she left the northern state’s police service in 2023, she was promoted to deputy crime commissioner in 2017.

During her service in Victoria, she played a key role in shaking up the force’s approach to the gangland wars and modernising its intelligence systems.

Ms Linford remained active in several government roles following her departure from the force.

Those included serving on boards and committees with the Senior Women’s Collective, the Australia and New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation and the National Crime Intelligence System Steering Committee.

Ms Linford has also amassed a string of academic achievements, holding a Bachelor of Business Management and an Executive Masters in Public Administration.

She is also a graduate of the international Leadership in Counter Terrorism Program and the Leadership Victoria Program.

Libby Murphy briefly served as Ambulance Victoria’s acting chief executive and chief operations officer during Covid. Picture: Daniel Pockett

Among candidates who were considered but did not progress to the final stage were “rising star” Victoria Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Chris Gilbert and Relieving and Special References Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy – who briefly served as Ambulance Victoria’s acting chief executive and chief operations officer during Covid.

The announcement of Victoria’s next police chief comes after the Herald Sun in February revealed that the Allan government was axing former chief Shane Patton, after a damning no-confidence vote by the police union.

The decision to dump Mr Patton was made just over a week after the government had said it had full confidence in him and was planning to extend his contract for another five years.

The Allan government axed former chief Shane Patton after a damning no-confidence vote by the police union. Picture: Nadir Kinani

The government then appointed Mr Nugent, who had been a Victoria Police deputy commissioner until he left the force in 2023 to take on the role of Emergency Management Commissioner.

But just 41 days into his return to the force as interim chief, the Herald Sun revealed that Mr Nugent had decided to step down amid allegations, which he denied, of “inappropriate conduct ­involving a conflict of interest” that had been lodged with Victoria’s anti-corruption body.

The new chief will face an unenviable task, with morale and recruitment at all-time lows, youth crime and home invasions soaring and concerns over soft sentences for repeat offenders.

Originally published as New Victoria Police Chief Commissioner to be named within days