Karen Webb

For the American academic administrator, see Karen Schuster Webb.

Karen Webb
APM
Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force
In office
1 February 2022 – 6 June 2025
Preceded byMick Fuller
Succeeded byPeter Thurtell (acting)
Personal details
Born
Karen Leanne Keefe

(1969-12-25) 25 December 1969
Boorowa, New South Wales, Australia
ChildrenTwo

Karen Leanne Webb, APM (née Keefe)[1] is an Australian former police officer, who replaced Mick Fuller as the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force in February 2022.[2] Webb was the first woman appointed to this office.[3][4] She left the position on 6 June 2025.[5]

Early life and career

Webb was born and raised in Boorowa in the south western slopes of New South Wales, and attended Boorowa Central School.[6][7]

Webb joined NSW Police in 1987 and previously was responsible for traffic and highway patrol and public transport.[3] She joined the Castle Hill Police Station, in the 1990s at a time when 10% of police officers were women, which grew to 35% as at 2021.[8] Webb stated in 2021 that she "look[s] forward to growing our diversity and inclusion in the organisation".[8]

Webb was the first woman to lead Traffic and Highway Patrol, since 2020.[3] She was promoted in 2017 to assistant commissioner, and subsequently moved to deputy commissioner in July 2021.[3] She has been a Board Member of NSW Police Legacy since 2018, and Vice-Patron since 2022.[9]

On 1 February 2022, Webb was formally appointed as Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force.[2] Previous police commissioner ceremonies were traditionally held at Government House in Sydney, but Webb chose to accept her appointment in her alma mater at Boorowa Central School.[7]

Webb set up the Domestic and Family Violence Registry.[10]

Webb was criticised for her response to the killing of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies at the hands of an ex-NSW Police officer in February 2024, calling it a “crime of passion”.[11]

After the Bondi Junction stabbings in May 2025, Webb implemented stricter knife laws in NSW.[10] She was accused of misconduct for revealing the name of a victim without the family’s consent, but was cleared of any misconduct.[12][13]

In August 2024, Webb was accused of using tax-payer funds to buy over 100 bottles, most to be given as gifts. Webb denied the allegations, saying that only 24 had been purchased and she had not drank any herself.[14] The LECC later accused her of having a conflict of interest with the gin seller, which she admitted to, although said that she was unaware at first because she had only continued to use the same supplier as the previous commissioner.[15] She later introduced laws to ensure the mistake will not be repeated.[16]

In November 2024, Webb gave entry-level police offers in NSW a 19% pay rise over four years, and allowed them to work part time.[17]

Webb has called for less police intervention in cases of mental health incidents when there is no immediate danger, saying that mental health professionals are better suited to respond to such incidents.[18]

In 2025 Webb was widely criticised for her handling of the death of Clare Nowland, where her statement on the matter did not mention that she was tasered[11] and only that she had “sustained injuries during an interaction with police.”[19]

In May 2025, Police Minister Yasmin Catley announced that Webb intends to step down as NSW Police Commissioner, and will be retiring from the force by the end of September after 38 years in the force.[20][21] After leaving the position of commissioner on 6 June 2025, she took up a role of special advisor on domestic violence to the NSW government.[5]

Honours and achievements

Webb was awarded the Australian Police Medal in the 2015 Australia Day Honours.[1][22]

References

  1. ^ a b "Webb named among state's top cops". Boorowa News. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Commissioner Webb formally appointed at ceremony in Boorowa". NSW Government. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Rawsthorne, Sally; Hunter, Fergus; Rabe, Tom (24 November 2021). "Karen Webb becomes first female NSW Police Commissioner". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Newspapers. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  4. ^ Nilsson, Anton; Lyons, Erin (23 November 2021). "State appoints first female top cop". news.com.au. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b Duffin, Perry (6 June 2025). "Webb appointed DV adviser as she exits top job". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Keefe family proud after Karen Webb named next NSW Police Commissioner". Boorowa News. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b Gardiner, Stephanie (1 February 2022). "Top cop elects for small town ceremony". Manning River Times. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b Parkes-Upton, Heath (24 November 2021). "A 'career cop' with big plans for a post-COVID world — meet NSW's new police commissioner Karen Webb". ABC News. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Patrons and Board". NSW Police Legacy. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Karen Webb resigns as Police Commissioner". Law Society Journal. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Karen Webb's controversial time as police commissioner". ABC News. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Bondi victim's mother 'upset' over alleged leaking of name to radio host". ABC News. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  13. ^ Dumas, Daisy (27 May 2025). "Family of some Bondi Junction stabbing victims see 'major issue' in police handling of information after attack, court hears". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  14. ^ "MP alleges top NSW cop spent taxpayers' money on more than 100 bottles of gin". ABC News. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  15. ^ "NSW police commissioner to stop gifting gin after admitting she 'should have declared' supplier link". ABC News. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  16. ^ McLeod, Catie; Press, Australian Associated (8 August 2024). "NSW top cop Karen Webb bans taxpayer-funded alcohol gifts after scrutiny over her taxpayer-funded alcohol gifts". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  17. ^ Theocharous, Mikala. "Police officers in NSW receive 'generational' pay rise under historic deal". Nine News.
  18. ^ saj234 (30 August 2024). "Police Commissioner Karen Webb says officers shouldn't be first responders to some mental health incidents". The University of Newcastle, Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Quick response to manslaughter verdict shows NSW commissioner has learned some lessons". ABC News. 27 November 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  20. ^ "Karen Webb resigns as NSW police commissioner". ABC News. 7 May 2025. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  21. ^ "Karen Webb resigns as Police Commissioner". Law Society Journal. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  22. ^ "Superintedent Karen Leanne Webb". It's an Honour. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.