Victoria's new police chief faced a grilling on his first day
Victoria's new chief police commissioner was just 17 when he donned his first uniform, and he still looked like he was in high school, he told a hall of recruits in Melbourne's south-east on Friday.
That proved a problem at first for 'conjuring authority on the streets' of New Zealand, but he would serve for more than 40 years, including eventually as the country's police commissioner.
On Friday, Mike Bush donned a new uniform as head of Victoria Police – drawn out of retirement and across the ditch by the Allan government to lead a force in turmoil after the departure of two chief commissioners and a deputy during a crime crisis.
While an eager press pack waited outside for Bush and Premier Jacinta Allan on his first day, the prickliest questions came from the police recruits. One asked whether police would receive upgraded technology. 'Heck yes!' was the answer.
Another young detective asked the question on most journalists' minds: how to juggle the pressures of 'what the government wants with what the boots-on-the-ground need'?
That answer was handled with more diplomatic flair – a glimpse of the man who has led multiple government agencies through crises, from the Christchurch terror attack to the Boxing Day tsunami, not to mention helming New Zealand's much-lauded COVID pandemic response.
Bush, already running late to visit two police stations, vowed to keep his ear close to the ground to hear what police need even as he remains close to the ear of government. That also meant asking hard questions of politicians, he added.
There will likely be plenty. Appointed by a government desperate for a win on law and order in the lead-up to next year's state election, Bush faces soaring crime rates, escalating youth gang violence and a tobacco war on the streets of Melbourne, along with recruitment problems, budgetary constraints and a slump in morale within the force itself.
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Restoring public trust in the troubled force and tackling the state's exploding crime rate are among his initial priorities. "There's too much crime," Mr Bush told reporters after a traditional Maori powhiri ceremony and an address to about 360 budding recruits at the state police academy in Glen Waverley. "There's too much youth crime. Organised crime drives so much harm in our communities. "We've got to find a way to work with others to get ahead of it." A self-described outsider, Mr Bush comes to Victoria Police after a highly publicised leadership crisis. An overwhelming no-confidence vote from officers after an 18-month pay dispute cost chief commissioner Shane Patton his job in February. Rick Nugent stepped in as acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent but withdrew from the race in April, citing a lack of drive. 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The police veteran joined the NZ police force in 1978 and led it from 2014 to 2020, with the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks and Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption among the biggest crises of his tenure. Crime statistics show youth crime in Victoria at its highest point since 1993, when electronic data collection started. The latest figures do not capture the impact of harsher bail laws rushed through parliament by the under-pressure Allan Labor government. Police union boss Wayne Gatt said every police officer and community member in Victoria had a stake in Mr Bush's success. The incoming chief commissioner had a reputation as a leader who listened to officers and prioritised prevention as the greatest weapon against crime, Mr Gatt said. "We think that these virtues will be invaluable in the fight to win back Victoria," he said. The Victorian opposition issued a list of 10 priorities for Mr Bush's five-year tenure, including filling officer vacancies and speaking truth to power. "I hope chief commissioner Bush gets the chance to do that, but at the moment I have no confidence," Opposition Leader Brad Battin said. Another round of proposed changes to bail laws is expected to be introduced to parliament as early as late July. Mike Bush is under no illusion about the challenges that confront him as top cop after a leadership crisis in Australia's second-largest police force. The former New Zealand police commissioner officially took the reins of Victoria Police on Friday, ending a four-month saga among the force's top ranks. Restoring public trust in the troubled force and tackling the state's exploding crime rate are among his initial priorities. "There's too much crime," Mr Bush told reporters after a traditional Maori powhiri ceremony and an address to about 360 budding recruits at the state police academy in Glen Waverley. "There's too much youth crime. Organised crime drives so much harm in our communities. "We've got to find a way to work with others to get ahead of it." A self-described outsider, Mr Bush comes to Victoria Police after a highly publicised leadership crisis. An overwhelming no-confidence vote from officers after an 18-month pay dispute cost chief commissioner Shane Patton his job in February. Rick Nugent stepped in as acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent but withdrew from the race in April, citing a lack of drive. Deputy police commissioner Neil Paterson, who was also shown the door, had earlier made a complaint to the corruption watchdog alleging "gross interference and politicisation of police function" from senior figures. The change at the top of the Victorian force comes after NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb recently announced her early retirement, although she has tipped one of the state's own to replace her. Flanked by Premier Jacinta Allan and Police Minister Anthony Carbines, Mr Bush vowed not to shirk from asking "hard questions" of them. "Governments love that," he said. "Well the governments I'm used to and I'm sure this government (do) as well ... that is part of my job." Mr Bush described putting the Victoria Police uniform on for the first time as "weird but great" and revealed he recently caught up with Mr Patton, whom he had known and respected for many years. "We might have different ways of policing," the Kiwi said. "He shared his advice. I have my own from over 42 years." The police veteran joined the NZ police force in 1978 and led it from 2014 to 2020, with the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks and Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption among the biggest crises of his tenure. Crime statistics show youth crime in Victoria at its highest point since 1993, when electronic data collection started. The latest figures do not capture the impact of harsher bail laws rushed through parliament by the under-pressure Allan Labor government. Police union boss Wayne Gatt said every police officer and community member in Victoria had a stake in Mr Bush's success. The incoming chief commissioner had a reputation as a leader who listened to officers and prioritised prevention as the greatest weapon against crime, Mr Gatt said. "We think that these virtues will be invaluable in the fight to win back Victoria," he said. The Victorian opposition issued a list of 10 priorities for Mr Bush's five-year tenure, including filling officer vacancies and speaking truth to power. "I hope chief commissioner Bush gets the chance to do that, but at the moment I have no confidence," Opposition Leader Brad Battin said. Another round of proposed changes to bail laws is expected to be introduced to parliament as early as late July. Mike Bush is under no illusion about the challenges that confront him as top cop after a leadership crisis in Australia's second-largest police force. The former New Zealand police commissioner officially took the reins of Victoria Police on Friday, ending a four-month saga among the force's top ranks. Restoring public trust in the troubled force and tackling the state's exploding crime rate are among his initial priorities. "There's too much crime," Mr Bush told reporters after a traditional Maori powhiri ceremony and an address to about 360 budding recruits at the state police academy in Glen Waverley. "There's too much youth crime. Organised crime drives so much harm in our communities. "We've got to find a way to work with others to get ahead of it." A self-described outsider, Mr Bush comes to Victoria Police after a highly publicised leadership crisis. An overwhelming no-confidence vote from officers after an 18-month pay dispute cost chief commissioner Shane Patton his job in February. Rick Nugent stepped in as acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent but withdrew from the race in April, citing a lack of drive. Deputy police commissioner Neil Paterson, who was also shown the door, had earlier made a complaint to the corruption watchdog alleging "gross interference and politicisation of police function" from senior figures. The change at the top of the Victorian force comes after NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb recently announced her early retirement, although she has tipped one of the state's own to replace her. Flanked by Premier Jacinta Allan and Police Minister Anthony Carbines, Mr Bush vowed not to shirk from asking "hard questions" of them. "Governments love that," he said. "Well the governments I'm used to and I'm sure this government (do) as well ... that is part of my job." Mr Bush described putting the Victoria Police uniform on for the first time as "weird but great" and revealed he recently caught up with Mr Patton, whom he had known and respected for many years. "We might have different ways of policing," the Kiwi said. "He shared his advice. I have my own from over 42 years." The police veteran joined the NZ police force in 1978 and led it from 2014 to 2020, with the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks and Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption among the biggest crises of his tenure. Crime statistics show youth crime in Victoria at its highest point since 1993, when electronic data collection started. The latest figures do not capture the impact of harsher bail laws rushed through parliament by the under-pressure Allan Labor government. Police union boss Wayne Gatt said every police officer and community member in Victoria had a stake in Mr Bush's success. The incoming chief commissioner had a reputation as a leader who listened to officers and prioritised prevention as the greatest weapon against crime, Mr Gatt said. "We think that these virtues will be invaluable in the fight to win back Victoria," he said. The Victorian opposition issued a list of 10 priorities for Mr Bush's five-year tenure, including filling officer vacancies and speaking truth to power. "I hope chief commissioner Bush gets the chance to do that, but at the moment I have no confidence," Opposition Leader Brad Battin said. Another round of proposed changes to bail laws is expected to be introduced to parliament as early as late July.
