Caught in the Webb: The Unraveling of NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb Australia's Most Powerful Cop Falls Amid Rising Scandals and Public Backlash
Karen Webb’s historic rise to NSW Police Commissioner ends in resignation after a tenure marked by public controversies, leadership missteps, and a shifting landscape in Australian law enforcement.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains names, images, and references to people who have passed away.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb will step down in September 2025 — a historic leader, a reformer to some, and a figure of disappointment to many.
She says she’s ready. And maybe she is.
After 38 years of service and three as Commissioner, Webb says it’s time to hand over the reins. There’s no scandal. No inquiry. Just a quiet exit after a very loud few years.
But as someone who’s followed her tenure closely — as a journalist, a survivor advocate — I can’t let her story close without revisiting what was promised, what was delivered, and what was left behind.
What She Promised — and What She Achieved
When Webb was sworn in as Commissioner in 2022, she said:
“I have zero tolerance for officer corruption and misconduct, especially involving child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence.”
“My role is to build the organisation so it is reflective of the community we serve.”
To her credit, she didn’t just inherit the job — she took swings. Under her leadership:
NSW introduced a domestic violence offender register
An anonymous sexual assault reporting tool was launched
A cultural review into internal police behaviour was initiated (but never published)
Police received a wage increase of up to 39.4%. New South Wales police are the 4th highest paid Police Force in the world!!
She became the first woman to lead the force in 160 Years
Webb made history. But she also made headlines — and not all of them for the right reasons.
Amy’s Story and the Cost of Delay
Amy Elizabeth Daphne Jerrick was 12 when she reported sexual abuse to Wagga Wagga Police. The officer who took her statement would one day BECOME THE COMMISSIONER.
The case was closed. Amy was deemed too young to testify.
In 2022, she tried to reopen her file. NSW Police said it was PERMANENTLY CLOSED. If she wanted access, she’d need to subpoena her own childhood.
“She talked about protecting women,” Amy told me. “But I was the girl they left behind.”
Webb didn’t deny Amy’s experience. But she didn’t fix it either.
A DV PIVOT AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR
In her resignation statement, Webb said:
“Moving forward, I will focus on the most pressing issue in our state: domestic and family violence.”
It’s a noble focus — and an overdue one.
But for many survivors I’ve spoken to, the timing rings hollow.
“Where was this leadership when officers with DV allegations were still wearing the badge?”
— Crisis advocate, Western Sydney
Webb championed awareness campaigns. But hard data on how her command handled DV cases internally? Still missing.
WHAT WAS UNDONE
Webb took some meaningful steps, but stopped short of real structural change. The cultural review? Never released. Officers accused of serious misconduct? Too often shielded.
Some missteps defined her public legacy:
The taser death of CLARE NOWLAND, 95
The “COMMISSIONER’S GIN” scandal involving over $100,000 of taxpayer funds
The “haters gonna hate” comment after the double murder of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies
When accountability was needed most, she reached for optics.
STRATEGIC TIMING?
On May 6, 2025, just ONE DAY before Webb’s resignation made headlines, Victoria Police appointed former NEW ZEALAND COMMISSIONER MIKE BUSH as their new CHIEF COMMISSIONER.
Bush is known for overseeing major cultural reform in NZ Police following a period of deep public mistrust. His appointment SIGNALLED a clear pivot toward transparency and transformation.
Then, suddenly, Webb’s resignation quietly surfaced — leaked to The Daily Telegraph, followed by a wave of “planned transition” headlines from NSW Police Media.
“They knew she couldn’t lead through reform. So they timed the optics to look like leadership.”
— Legal source, public sector analyst
The contrast was stark: Victoria chose an external reformer. NSW chose silence.
CAUGHT IN HER OWN WEBB: WHAT UNRAVELLED AND WHEN
February 1, 2022 — Karen Webb becomes NSW’s first female Police Commissioner.
February 2022 — Aboriginal teen Jai Wright dies after a collision with an unmarked police car. Charges delayed until 2024.
April 2022 — Officer found guilty of sexually touching a 15-year-old Aboriginal boy. No criminal charges.
May 2022 — Launch of DV offender register and anonymous sexual assault tool.
August 2022 — Detective Sergeant found dead at Ermington station. Ruled 'non-suspicious' within hours.
September 2022 — Sgt. Justone Wong kills bus driver in crash. Later convicted.
October 2022 — Probationary constable charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old. Cultural review initiated.
May 17, 2023 — Clare Nowland, 95, was tasered in aged care. Dies in hospital.
August 2023 — “Commissioner’s Gin” scandal: taxpayer funds used on boutique alcohol.
October 2023 — Two police dogs die from heatstroke in the patrol vehicle.
February 24, 2024 — Webb apologises for NSW Police's history of gay hate crimes.
March 2024 — Constable murders Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. Webb delays public response.
March 2025 — PD Police Dog Eddie was killed during an operation. Aboriginal man dies in police pursuit — no body cam footage.
Former New South Wales police officer exposes systemic abuse.
April 2025 — Webb permits convicted Sgt. Wong to remain employed after internal review.
May 7, 2025 — Webb announces resignation, effective September.
May 8, 2025 — Webb states DV reform will be her final priority.
EDITOR’S NOTE: NSW Police were contacted for comment.
SO, IS IT TIME?
Maybe Karen Webb is right. Maybe it is time.
She served nearly four decades. She cracked a glass ceiling. She brought forward reforms that MATTERED to some.
But to the survivors and whistleblowers I’ve spoken with — the ones ignored, sidelined, erased — time was up a long time ago.
“The commissioner changes. The institution survives. But so do the survivors.” - UNDERGROUND MEDIA NETWORK
EDITOR’S NOTE:
NSW Police were contacted for comment. A spokesperson from the Police Media Unit advised—prior to publication—that Commissioner Karen Webb would be focusing on her retirement in the coming three weeks. No further clarification was provided regarding the timing or circumstances of her departure.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Karen Webb’s resignation wasn’t an act of accountability — it was an escape hatch.
It came not when truth demanded it, but when optics required it.
Behind every reform she announced was a survivor still waiting. Behind every headline was a file buried. Behind every silence was a story we were never meant to hear.
BUT WE HEARD THEM ANYWAY.
Because when institutions protect themselves, independent journalism becomes the only witness left.
Webb’s era ends in September. The culture that enabled it doesn’t.
That’s why we write. That’s why we publish.
IF IT BURNS, IT BURNS.
© 2025 Landon Ashton Versace Germanotta-Mills
Underground Media Network Sydney