A career federal cop and distinguished counter-terrorism expert has been named the new Australian Federal Police commissioner.
Andrew Colvin (pictured), a 24-year veteran of the service, was the AFP’s deputy commissioner for national security before taking on the acting commissioner role after the retirement of Tony Negus in September.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Colvin has “performed with distinction over recent weeks as the public terror threat level was raised to High and the Australian Federal Police, working with other security agencies, executed some of the largest counter-terrorism operations in Australia’s history”:
“He established the AFP counter-terrorism portfolio, has overseen domestic and international AFP terrorism investigations, had operational oversight of aviation, protection and international deployment group portfolios and led the high-tech crime portfolio …
“Mr Colvin has the vision, commitment and energy required to lead Australia’s national policing agency, forge national and international strategic partnerships and build on the AFP’s already strong approach to complex crime and security issues.”
Colvin was AFP chief of staff from 2005-07, where he led the professional standards branch as well as the policy, legal and government relations functions. He currently co-chairs the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering which counters the financing of terrorism.
Colvin was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2003 for his work on the Bali bombing investigation and victim identification process.
