The future leadership of Victoria Police remains unclear after Acting Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent confirmed he will not apply for the permanent role.
The Age confirmed with two sources on Wednesday that Nugent emailed police members saying he would not apply for the job, but he said he was willing to stay on until a permanent replacement is found.
Acting Police Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent will not seek the permanent job.Credit: Wayne Taylor.
Nugent, who has previously shied away from the limelight, said he had come to the realisation he could not commit to the 24/7 nature of the job for a full five-year term.
Nugent was appointed as interim boss in late February, after chief commissioner Shane Patton resigned.
Patton left after rank-and-file police officers overwhelmingly voted they had no confidence in his leadership. A senior bureaucrat told him he would not be offered a new contract.
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This prompted the state government to reverse its unwavering support for Patton.
In the same week as Patton’s resignation, the government informed deputy commissioner Neil Paterson he would not have his contract renewed.
In March, Paterson filed a complaint with the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) alleging he and Patton had been removed from their roles due to an unlawful conspiracy.
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