Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon has firmed as frontrunner for the NSW Police Force’s high job after Premier Chris Minns stated he’s prepared to miss “dangerous selections” and that the NSW police commissioner didn’t must have a “lily-white document”.
But an knowledgeable concerned within the Wood Royal Commission into the NSW Police Force, which started 30 years in the past and located systemic and entrenched corruption, disagreed, saying the state’s high police officer wanted to fulfill the very best moral requirements.
Premier Chris Minns with probably police commissioner Mal Lanyon, proper, at a press convention about Cyclone Alfred in March 2025.Credit: Kate Geraghty
The Herald revealed on Wednesday that Lanyon had been investigated by the police watchdog for taking his spouse and one other couple on the police vessel OPV Nemesis whereas it was working an on-water command centre on New Year’s Eve 2023.
On Thursday, Minns stated one dangerous resolution shouldn’t derail an individual’s complete profession, however didn’t point out one other incident that value Lanyon the highest job in 2021, when he was discovered mendacity drunk on a footpath in Goulburn and advised attending ambulance officers to “f— off”, earlier than calling the chief government of Ambulance NSW.
In response to questions from this masthead on Friday, Minns gave the strongest indication to date that Lanyon would get the job. While he “hadn’t decided” he refused to rule him out of the job.
“People do make selections; generally they’re dangerous selections, me included. There’s not too many good individuals on the market,” stated Minns. “If we’re solely selecting individuals who have gotten fully, fully lily-white data then we’ll be lacking out on lots of people that may contribute to public life.”
Lanyon and outgoing commissioner Karen Webb, who finally ends up on September 30.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
The job is vacant after Karen Webb resigned with nearly two years to run on her five-year contract; she was the primary high police officer because the royal fee to have her tenure minimize quick. While she stated it was her resolution, a number of police and political sources stated Minns inspired her to go.
Webb’s tenure was dogged by criticism of her public efficiency and leaks towards her from inside the police.
