The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), will today swear in Reece Kershaw APM as the eighth Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The ceremony at Government House, Canberra, will officially mark Mr Kershaw’s return to the AFP after leaving the agency in 2011 to become an Assistant Commissioner with the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services.
Mr Kershaw was then appointed Commissioner of that agency in April 2015, where he remained until his appointment with the AFP.
This new role builds on a distinguished policing career for Mr Kershaw, who served the AFP in various roles between 1988 and 2011. These included overseas postings to The Hague, East Timor and the Solomon Islands, as well as secondments to the National Crime Authority and the Australian Crime Commission.
“It is an honour and a privilege to lead the men and women of the Australian Federal Police, who have continually delivered for the Australian community over the last 40 years,” Mr Kershaw said.
“My initial focus is to ensure our frontline officers in the AFP are supported with the right training, technology and equipment, that the operating model of the organisation is fit for purpose for now and the future, and that the health and wellbeing of all staff is supported by the appropriate strategies and mechanisms.”
Mr Kershaw also highlighted the importance of partnerships, both domestic and international, in targeting the criminal environment and those people and groups seeking to harm Australians.
Mr Kershaw begins his service with the AFP today.
Images will be available here for download following the ceremony at 4pm.
