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Victoria Police top cop appointed

Graham Ashton has been appointed Victoria Police Chief Commissioner by the state government.

Mr Ashton will leave his role as Deputy Commissioner with the Australian Federal Police.

He will replace Acting Chief Commissioner of Police Tim Cartwright, who had been in the role since January 2015 after former CC Ken Lay stood down in December, 2014.

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Mr Ashton will move back to Victoria Police from the AFP, where he only took up his appointment as Deputy Commissioner in late 2014.

Premier Daniel Andrews said Mr Ashton was the right commissioner for “uncertain times” and had been chosen from a strong field of applicants.

Mr Andrews sited Mr Ashton’s career achievements of dealing with the scourge of ice, counter terrorism and police integrity.

“It is an outstanding career of service and one where Graham Ashton will bring to this role a steadiness of leadership style, a wealth of experience and sense of character,” Mr Andrews said.

Mr Ashton was previously Deputy Commissioner at Victoria Police and a Deputy Director of the Victorian Office of Police Integrity.

A police officer for 34 years, he said he was honoured by the appointment.

“It’s obviously a humbling honour … being an organisation that is steeped in traditions, it’s an organisation that pre-dates the federation of this country, it’s one of Australia’s oldest institutions,” Mr Ashton said.

“Accordingly leading that organisation is a great honour, but also comes with great responsibility.”

He said he was a “traditionalist” who wanted to ensure that Victoria Police did not lose its traditions, while presenting “a modern and effective current contemporary face of policing”.

He said counterterrorism would be one of the key challenges in the future.

“Those issues aren’t going to go away, in fact they’re only probably going to worsen as a challenge for the community to meet, but it’s one we’ve got to work very collaboratively with the community on meeting,” he said.

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