Graham Ashton has been appointed Victoria’s new Chief Commissioner of Police, replacing Ken Lay, who left the role late last year.
Mr Ashton, a former Victoria Police deputy commissioner, left that post to rejoin the Australian Federal Police last December as deputy commissioner.
Mr Ashton said he was told about his appointment late last week and that AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin had been supportive of his departure after serving less than six months back at the AFP as deputy commissioner.
In announcing the appointment on Monday, Premier Daniel Andrews said: “Graham Ashton brings to this role and his entire policing career a steadiness of leadership style, a wealth of experience and a strength of character that will see Victoria Police go from strength to strength.”
Mr Ashton has strong counter-terrorism credentials, having been a joint-lead of the Bali bombing investigation and the head of the AFP counter-terrorism unit before he left the force in 2004.
He had served 24 years with the AFP before joining the Office of Police Integrity. He joined Victoria Police in 2009 as a director of corporate strategy and was promoted to assistant commissioner in 2011 and deputy commissioner in 2012.
Mr Ashton’s exit from Victoria Police, along with the departure of Mr Lay and the impending departure of Acting Chief Commissioner Tim Cartwright, was viewed as creating a possible leadership vacuum within the force.
Deputy Commissioner Lucinda Nolan, Acting Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton, and Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp had been considered possible chief commissioners, but it was unclear whether they had applied for the position.
Ms Nolan had refused to be drawn on her interest in interviews. Other candidates were also considered from interstate and overseas.
Police Association secretary, Detective Senior Sergeant Ron Iddles, welcomed Mr Ashton’s appointment in one of most challenging times for police officers given the local terrorism threat level against them.
“We look forward to having a strong and constructive working relationship with Graham,” Senior Sergeant Iddles said.
“He comes with a strong investigative background, he’s got a good grasp of counter-terrorism and organised crime. Having bee an assistant commissioner and deputy commissioner, he understands the issues and the culture so I think his appointment will be accepted by the members.”
Senior Sergeant Iddles said there were still “unresolved issues” around police safety, police numbers and security of police stations that the union needed to address with the new chief commissioner as a matter of “urgency”.
“So there’s three issues we need to resolve once he takes up that position,” he said.
“And we look forward to good faith bargaining during the enterprise bargaining agreement.”
Mr Ashton takes up the role on July 1, before which he will be receiving counter terrorism briefings in Europe.
– with Tammy Mills
