Departure of NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb labelled ‘tragic’

NSW top cop is Karen Webb quitting her post, throwing an already under-fire police force into further disarray.

Commissioner Karen Webb will finish on September 30 after a turbulent three-year tenure in charge of the force’s 20,000 employees.

“I knew when the time was right I would know,” Ms Webb said in a statement.

“I wanted to give the State government time to recruit and appoint a new commissioner going into an election period in less than two years’ time.”

“I have nothing left to prove now, and I feel proud.”

Police Minister Yasmin Catley labelled Ms Webb a “true trailblazer.”

“She has been a force for change and reform focused on the safety and well-being of the NSW Police Force.

Her resignation comes a day after former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush was appointed to lead Victoria Police, after its commissioner quit in February.

Ms Webb, 55, joined the police 38 years ago and become the first woman to lead the state’s force.

She has faced several crises during her short reign.

A debilitating shortage of officers blew out to several thousand unfilled positions before she announced new recruits would be paid to train from late 2023.

Alongside Ms Catley, Ms Webb also penned a massive pay increase of up to 40 per cent in 2024, making rank-and-file officers among the best-paid cops in Australia.

The deal also improved job-sharing arrangements, particularly benefiting parents.

The commissioner has, however, been no stranger to the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Ms Webb was widely criticised for her initial response to the fatal tasering of 95-year-old Clare Nowland in 2023 in Cooma in southern NSW. A media release from her office in the wake of the tragic incident did not mention that a Taser was used and simply said Ms Nowland had “sustained injuries during an interaction with police”.

She also raised eyebrows in 2024 when invoking the Taylor Swift song lyric, saying ‘haters are gonna hate’, after being asked about leadership concerns when Jesse Baird and Luke Davis were shot dead by serving police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon. Ms Webb has also drawn scrutiny after splitting with four media advisors in two years, after it was revealed the changes led to almost $700,000 in termination payments.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission also found Ms Webb should have disclosed a friendship with the supplier of 50 bottles of custom-labelled gin she bought as gifts.

The Commissioner banned the practice of using taxpayers’ money to purchase alcohol for gifts and hospitality after she came under fire for buying the expensive gin. Opposition police spokesman Paul Toole said her departure added to a challenging period for the force.

Michael Kennedy, a former detective with the police force for two decades who worked alongside Ms Webb, described her resignation as a “tragedy” driven by politically motivated media commentators.

“Webb made changes for the better —not for her, but for the institution,” the Western Sydney University professor said.

“Far too many of her colleagues don’t understand bosses that aren’t self motivated and committed to the institution.” She’s not a movie star, she’s not a celebrity and she refuses to court the media.”

“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.

During her tenure, Ms Webb handled the police force’s response to the Bondi Junction stabbing and the alleged Dural “terror” caravan plot.

Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon is frontrunner to replace Ms Webb.

Ms Webb will mark 38 years of service in the coming weeks.

She has agreed to depart on September 30 to allow the comprehensive search for her successor to be completed, Ms Catley said.