Australia’s biggest police force finally has a new commissioner after embattled top cop Karen Webb resigned 18 months early. 

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon has been promoted to the top job, ending a months-long search that generated much speculation in the force.

His appointment was announced on Wednesday by NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley.

Mr Lanyon was long considered a frontrunner to replace former commissioner Karen Webb, who was the force’s first female leader.

He beat other contenders like Acting Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell, Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood and Deputy Commissioner David Hudson.

He will officially take the reins on October 1.

Since 2019, Mr. Lanyon has held the position of deputy police commissioner and in 2024, he was appointed as chief executive to the NSW Reconstruction Authority, following his contributions to the flood recovery efforts in the Northern Rivers in 2022.

He faced criticism after getting into an altercation with an intoxicated paramedic and for taking his wife and two friends on a police vessel during New Year’s Eve in 2023.

Australia’s biggest police force finally has a new commissioner after embattled top cop Karen Webb (pictured) resigned 18 months early

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon has been appointed to the top position, concluding a months-long search that sparked substantial speculation within the force.

During a press conference on Wednesday, he addressed the boat incident, acknowledging it as a misstep and confessed to having ‘made mistakes’.

‘I have made mistakes in the past, and I’ve been open about them,’ he said.

‘I’ve always aimed to learn from these experiences and to lead with honesty, accountability, and integrity. Public trust is built not merely on significant achievements, but through consistency, transparency, and fair treatment of people.’

Ms Webb will leave the position on September 30, after joining the force in 1987 and taking the top job in February 2022.

Individuals who joined the NSW Police prior to April 1988 benefitted from a generous arrangement where their pension was calculated based on the highest pay of their career’s rank, rather than the lower ranks they held previously.

For Ms Webb, that means a massive payday – insiders told the Daily Telegraph she’s looking at around $380K a year or a lump sum close to $4.75million.

In 2023, she earned $679,050 per year, but that amount has likely increased since then due to indexed pay rises.

Ms Webb faced several crises during her short reign.

Ms Webb (pictured) will leave the position on September 30, after joining the force in 1987 and taking the top job in February 2022

A debilitating shortage of officers blew out to several thousand unfilled positions before she announced new recruits would be paid to train from late 2023.

Alongside Ms Catley, Ms Webb also penned a massive pay increase of up to 40 per cent in 2024, making rank-and-file officers among the best-paid cops in Australia.

The deal also improved job-sharing arrangements, particularly benefiting parents.

The outgoing commissioner was widely criticised for her initial response to the fatal tasering of 95-year-old Clare Nowland in 2023 in Cooma in southern NSW.

A media release from her office in the wake of the tragic incident did not mention that a Taser was used and simply said Mrs Nowland had ‘sustained injuries during an interaction with police’.

Ms Webb also raised eyebrows in 2024 when she quoted a Taylor Swift lyric, saying ‘haters are gonna hate’, in response to questions about the shooting deaths of two men, allegedly by serving police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon.

The outgoing commissioner was widely criticised for her initial response to the fatal tasering of 95-year-old Clare Nowland (pictured) in 2023 in Cooma in southern NSW

Former NSW constable Kristian White is seen at the Cooma retirement home on CCTV

She was also accused of going into hiding in the days after the double shooting and for saying she was ‘grateful’ to Lamarre-Condon for cooperating with police.

Ms Webb also drew scrutiny for going through four media advisors in two years, resulting in $700,000 in public funds being spent on termination payments.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission also found Ms Webb should have disclosed a friendship with the supplier of 50 bottles of custom-labelled gin she bought with public funds.

The commissioner subsequently banned the practice of using taxpayers’ money to purchase alcohol for gifts and hospitality.

Opposition police spokesman Paul Toole said her departure added to a challenging period for the force. 

‘Frontline officers need certainty and leadership… they serve our communities with professionalism and deserve the same from those at the top,’ he said.