Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw resigns early

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw will leave his role a year early, with the prime minister confirming he will be replaced by Krissy Barrett, who will be the first woman to lead the AFP.

The federal government extended commissioner Kershaw's appointment in May last year, which would have seen him remain Australia's top cop until October 2026.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked Mr Kershaw for his service.

"Reece, you have achieved an enormous amount for our nation. And I hope you feel incredibly proud," he said.

The prime minister welcomed Ms Barrett to the role, who is currently a deputy commissioner within the agency, noting her experience in counter-terrorism and her leadership in the Solomons and through the Bali bombings investigation.

Ms Barrett said she was humbled to serve as the AFP's ninth commissioner.

"As commissioner, I will ensure the AFP continues to keep Australians safe, protects the vulnerable, and identifies and disrupts an emerging cohort of criminals who have mixed motivations and threaten our national security," Ms Barrett said.

"I promise I will be your champion. I promise I will do this uniform proud for you. And to every Australian, I will be devoted to protecting you and our way of life, and I commit to working as hard as I can every single day, like every AFP commissioner before me."

Ms Barrett also paid tribute to the outgoing commissioner, who she said had been a mentor to her and many others in the AFP.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Mr Kershaw flagged his desire to retire a few weeks ago, adding "he leaves with his head held high".

Commissioner Kershaw has led the AFP since the Coalition appointed him in 2019.

Then-attorney-general Mark Dreyfus last year extended his contract for two years.

When his contract was extended, the AFP listed countering child exploitation as a key priority for the former child protection investigator.

It also praised Commissioner Kershaw for having implemented strategies to dismantle organised crime and drug seizures.

Controversy during tenure at AFP 

Commissioner Kershaw's time at the head of the AFP has not been without controversy, including his handling of the Dural caravan saga, which later emerged as a fake terror plot.

In 2023, he rubbished claims he should have declared a conflict of interest over his friendship with a senior PricewaterhouseCoopers partner with whom he discussed a contract for the consulting firm.

Text exchanges released under Freedom of Information revealed Commissioner Kershaw and PwC partner Mick Fuller, a former NSW Police commissioner, had more extensive interactions than Commissioner Kershaw had previously told parliament.

In July, Mr Burke said Commissioner Kershaw retained the "full confidence" of the government, despite accusations about a racist culture within a police force he once led.

Commissioner Kershaw led the NT Police from 2014 until he was appointed to lead the federal police in October 2019. He left the force just weeks before the death of NT man Kumanjayi Walker.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage's findings into his death, which were released last month, found racism was widespread within the NT Police force.

She described the force as "an organisation with hallmarks of institutional racism" and that there was "clear evidence of entrenched, systemic and structural racism within the NT Police".

At the time, ABC News contacted the AFP to ask if Commissioner Kershaw had read the findings and if he had any response to the allegations against the police force he once led.

An AFP spokesperson said it would be "inappropriate for Commissioner Kershaw to provide commentary on this matter".