Former New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush has been appointed as the incoming Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police.
Bush will come out of retirement to take on the role from June 27.
His appointment comes months after former commissioner Shane Patton left the role following a leadership crisis at Victoria Police.
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Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan formally announced the news today and lauded Bush for his role as top cop in New Zealand during a period where “public trust went up and crime went down”.
“Mike Bush is the right person for leading Victoria Police into the future,” Allan said during her announcement.
“Mr Bush made the community safe in New Zealand and he will do so too here in Victoria.”
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Bush served as the New Zealand Commissioner of Police from 2014 until his retirement in 2020.
He worked as the Kiwi police commissioner during several tragic national events including the 2021 Christchurch terror attack and the 2019 Whakaari/ White Island volcano eruption.
Bush said in a statement he will work hard to ensure every Victorian feels safe.
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“The Victoria Police is a proud and longstanding police, but like any other, there is always room to grow,” Bush said today.
“My vision for the police, as you’ve heard, is to ensure the Victoria Police have the trust and confidence of everyone… all communities in Victoria.
“My mission is to ensure that everyone, in the state of Victoria, not only is safe, but feels safe no matter where they are and when that mght be.”
Bush joins Victoria Police during a period of tumult and transformation.
He will replace former commissioner Patton who stepped down in February after a no-confidence vote by 87 per cent of rank-and-file officers.
Acting Commissioner Rick Nugent replaced then replaced Patton in the job on a temporary basis, before announcing he would not apply for the role permanently.
Nugent will depart his role this week and current Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Bob Hill will serve as Acting Commissioner until Bush commences the job on June 27.
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Crime in Victoria has also become a rampant issue.
Data from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) revealed in March that the overall number of criminal acts has climbed to the highest rate since 2016.
Police believe repeat child offending was a key factor in the overall increase in crime, up 16 per cent.
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