The chief commissioner of the Victoria Police is the highest-ranking police officer in the Australian state of Victoria. The chief commissioner serves as the primary liaison between Victoria Police, government agencies, and relevant government ministers,[1] and is appointed by the governor of Victoria.[2]
The 1853 Police Regulation Act established the role of chief commissioner, which was first held by Sir William Mitchell.[3] The chief commissioner acts as the chief executive officer and chief constable of Victoria Police, and reports to the minister for police. Under the Victoria Police Act 2013, the chief commissioner has to implement relevant policy and law of the government within the police force, advising and informing the police minister on the operations of the police force, and is responsible for general conduct, performance and operations of Victoria Police.[4] The role is supported by a number of departments, each led by a deputy commissioner responsible for the following areas: regional operations, specialist operations, public safety and security, and capability.[1] The candidate for the role is typically chosen on the advice of the sitting premier of Victoria. The chief commissioner can be appointed for a maximum term of five years and may be reappointed after their five year term expires.[5]
Victoria Police may, in some circumstances, have an acting chief commissioner in place when a chief commissioner has retired and a permanent replacement is being sought.[6] The longest-serving chief commissioner was Frederick Standish, who served from 3 September 1858 to 1 October 1880 for a total term of 22 years and 28 days.[7][8] The shortest-serving chief commissioner was the inaugural holder of the office, Sir William Mitchell, who served from 3 January 1853 to 24 January 1854 for a total term of 1 year and 21 days in office.[9][10] The only woman to hold the office was Christine Nixon. She was also Australia's first female police commissioner.[11] The current chief commissioner, Shane Patton, assumed office on 27 June 2020.[12]
- ^ a b "Structure". Victoria Police. 21 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "Victoria Police Act 2013" (PDF). Legislation Victoria. 6 April 2020. section 17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "Victoria Police (including Office of the Chief Commissioner of Police)". Public Record Office Victoria. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ Victoria Police Act 2013, section 16.
- ^ Victoria Police Act 2013, Part 1 of Schedule 1.
- ^ Lay, Kenneth (15 December 2019). "Statement of Kenneth Douglas Lay AO" (PDF). Royal Commission into the Management of Police lnformants. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ O'Shanassy, John (10 December 1858). "Chief Commissioner of Police". Victoria Government Gazette. Victorian Government Printer. p. 1858:2488. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Colonial Telegrams". Adelaide Observer. Vol. XXXVII, no. 2032. South Australia. 11 September 1880. p. 28. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Swanton, Bruce; Hannigan, Garry (1985). "Police Source Book 2" (PDF). Australian Institute of Criminology. p. 398. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ O'Callaghan, Thomas (1907). List of Chief Constables, District Constables, Police Cadets, and Police Officers in Victoria : 1836–1907. Melbourne: J. Kemp. p. 20. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023 – via State Library Victoria.
- ^ "History of Women in the NSW Police Force". New South Wales Police Force. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ "Shane Patton named new Victoria Police Chief Commissioner as Graham Ashton prepares to retire". ABC News. 1 June 2020. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.