The chief commissioner of the Victoria Police is the highest-ranking police officer in the Australian state of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. The chief commissioner serves as the primary liaison between

Victoria Police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''. , Victor ...

government agencies A government agency or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government (bureaucracy) that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, ...

, and relevant

government ministers A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...

, and is appointed by the

governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of Monarchy of Australia, the monarch, currently King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the premier of V ...

. The 1853 Police Regulation Act established the role of chief commissioner, which was first held by Sir William Mitchell. The chief commissioner acts as the chief executive officer and chief

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

of Victoria Police, and reports to the minister for police. Under the Victoria Police Act 2013, the chief commissioner has to implement relevant policy and law of the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

within the police force, advising and informing the police minister on the operations of the police force, and is responsible for general conduct, performance and operations of Victoria Police. The role is supported by a number of departments, each led by a deputy commissioner responsible for the following areas: regional operations, specialist operations, public safety and security, and capability. The candidate for the role is typically chosen on the advice of the sitting

premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of government of the state of Victoria in Australia. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, must be a member of the Vic ...

. The chief commissioner can be appointed for a maximum term of five years and may be reappointed after their five year term expires. Victoria Police may, in some circumstances, have an acting chief commissioner in place when a chief commissioner has retired and a permanent replacement is being sought. The longest-serving chief commissioner was

Frederick Standish Captain Frederick Charles Standish (20 April 1824 – 19 March 1883), often referred to as "Captain Standish", was a Chief Commissioner of Police in Victoria (Australia). Biography Standish was born in 1824 at Standish Hall, Wigan, Lancashire, ...

, who served from 3 September 1858 to 1 October 1880 for a total term of 22 years and 28 days. The shortest-serving chief commissioner was the inaugural holder of the office, Sir William Mitchell, who served from 3 January 1853 to 24 January 1854 for a total term of 1 year and 21 days in office. The only woman to hold the office was

Christine Nixon Christine Nixon (born 11 June 1953) is an Australian former police officer who was the chief commissioner of Victoria Police from 23 April 2001 to 27 February 2009, being the first female chief commissioner in any Australian state police force. ...

. She was also Australia's first female police commissioner. The current chief commissioner,

Mike Bush Michael Dennis Bush is a former New Zealand police officer and forthcoming Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police. He served as the Commissioner of the New Zealand Police from April 2014 until April 2020. In May 2025, he was appointed as the ne ...

will start in the role on 27 June 2025.

List of chief commissioners

References

{{reflist, 2 Chief commissioners of the Victoria Police Lists of Australian public servants

Lists of office-holders in Australia Victoria Police