‘No pushover': Favourite emerges for new Victorian police chief
Career police officer Tracy Linford is one of the favourites for Victoria's next chief commissioner, with an announcement expected as early as next week.
Linford served 31 years with Victoria Police before being head-hunted by the Queensland force in 2015 to serve as assistant commissioner in charge of intelligence, counterterrorism and major events command.
She was quickly promoted, in 2017, to deputy commissioner of crime, counterterrorism and specialist operations. Linford has expertise in organised crime, child exploitation and terrorism.
At Victoria Police, she helped restructure the approach to Melbourne's gangland war and modernised Victoria's criminal intelligence systems. She has also run large regional police districts, including Frankston and Warrnambool.
After a damning 2022 report into the culture and discipline systems of the Queensland Police Service, Linford and Commissioner Katarina Carroll declared a line in the sand moment and have worked since to professionalise the force.
While the Victorian government has not told police command who has been selected, a senior police source said: 'Nothing is confirmed, but everything points to Tracy. She is popular and has integrity. It would be a good choice. She's favourite, but favourites can get beaten.'
If Linford were appointed, she would follow the same career path as Neil Comrie, a senior Victorian policeman who was appointed assistant commissioner in Queensland before being head-hunted by the Kennett government to return as Victoria's police chief.
Former Victorian colleagues of Linford described her as 'decent, highly regarded, intelligent, easy to work with' and 'considered'.
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