The Australian Federal Police (AFP) bid farewell to Commissioner Reece P Kershaw APM, who retired after more than 37 years in law enforcement, including six years leading the AFP.
Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke MP, joined family, friends, current and former AFP members, as well as State and Territory Police Commissioners, for a ceremony at Canberra’s Edmund Barton Building. The event concluded with a march out of AFP Headquarters, a guard of honour, and a final salute to Commissioner-designate Krissy Barrett APM as Kershaw signed off as ‘AFP1’ over police radio.
Commissioner Kershaw began his AFP career in 1988 with ACT Policing and progressed through commands including Close Personal Protection, victim-based crime, high-tech crime operations, and transnational organised crime. He also served overseas in The Hague, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands, with secondments to the National Crime Authority and Australian Crime Commission.
After a stint with Northern Territory Police as Assistant Commissioner and later Commissioner and Chief Executive of Fire and Emergency Services, Kershaw returned to the AFP in 2019 as its eighth Commissioner. He implemented key initiatives to combat organised crime, including the Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, which has apprehended 66 fugitives, and Operation Gain, which led to 35 arrests of alleged organised crime figures.
A defining moment of his tenure was 2021’s Operation Ironside, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest organised crime investigation, which targeted encrypted communications networks used for drug trafficking, weapons distribution, and local executions. The operation resulted in nearly 400 people charged with over 2,300 offences, and contributed to preventing more than $70 billion in potential harm to Australians.
Commissioner Kershaw also strengthened the AFP’s cybercrime and counter-terrorism capabilities, established the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) as a national child protection hub, launched the National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons, and reinforced Australia’s international policing partnerships.
He oversaw significant workforce professionalisation, increased AFP personnel by 18 per cent, created the AFP Reserve and the SHIELD wellbeing program, and launched the AFP Innovation Fund supporting 100 projects across 19 commands.
His distinguished service has been recognised with multiple awards, including the Australian Police Medal, National Police Service Medal, AFP Operation IRONSIDE Citation, and international honours from France and Timor-Leste.
In retirement, Commissioner Kershaw plans to spend more time with his family and enjoy life as a grandfather.
Commissioner Krissy Barrett began her first full day leading the AFP, succeeding Reece Kershaw APM. Rising from intern to Commissioner, she has led sensitive operations in counter-terrorism, transnational crime, and national security, and is a recognised advocate for workplace diversity and First Nations inclusion.
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