The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his “outsider” status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks.
Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria’s chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes.
The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract.
The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic, with Victoria’s crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024.
“There are crime issues in the state, everyone knows that,” he told reporters today.
“These crime issues are actually global, they are quite similar wherever you go but it’s not good enough just to turn up after the act.
“If you’re a criminal, you should be worried.”
‘Deep credibility in policing’
Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March.
Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime, along with a “prevention mindset”.
He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job.
The 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure.
Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK’s Metropolitan Police.
Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair, innovative, hands-on and good in a crisis.
He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities.
“We took questions for an hour, two hours, and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea,” Nash told AAP.
“Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing.”
The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001.
The Kiwi was happy to wear the “outsider” tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running.
“I’ve got a lot to do to come up to speed,” Bush said.
“Culture is a consequence of leadership.”
Boosting workforce morale, busting organised crime, establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities.
Leadership turmoil
Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February, with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job.
Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April.
Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over.
Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn’t shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government.
Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the “challenges” plaguing the force.
“Mike Bush is the best person for the job,” she said.
Wayne Gatt, whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute, admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders.
The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush’s appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns.
“We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers,” he said.
Key moments in Mike Bush’s policing career
- In 2004, while serving as a detective inspector and New Zealand’s police liaison officer in Thailand, he worked to provide relief after the Boxing Day tsunami
- The police veteran led a 2015 strategy to engage ethnic communities and promoted female representation across all levels of police
- Bush oversaw the police response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, when 51 people were killed by an Australian gunman
- He led the force during the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2019 Whakaari / White Island volcano eruption, which killed 22 people, including 14 Australians
- In the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Bush was recognised for his high performance standards and work to create a respectful and inclusive culture
- Bush recently supported the Fiji government to reform the country’s police organisation
