ANALYSIS
Canberra's new Chief Police Officer might call himself "old-school", but he wears a smartwatch, and is the former head of the feds' high-tech crime area.
Raised in Blacktown when the far west of Sydney was then a much-maligned outer satellite suburb and a tough place to grow up, as a young man Neil Gaughan eschewed joining the NSW police and instead set his sights on recruitment into the growing ranks of the Australian Federal Police.
He worked in ACT Policing for 15 years before taking off the uniform and pulling on a suit, and has steadily marched up the ranks to Deputy Commissioner under the new star of the federal firmament, Commissioner Reece Kershaw.
It helps, too, to have worked the Canberra streets with the Commissioner as constables together in the same Woden police station all those years ago.
He's the fourth Chief Police Officer for the ACT in five years.
National Operations is one of the plum, hands-on jobs with the AFP, so it was a surprise to many when Deputy Commissioner Gaughan was shuffled back to the ACT.
It's seen by many as Commissioner Kershaw's intention to put his stamp across the organisation, including on the contracted community policing service provided to the ACT.
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In a wrench for someone who has spent his entire career in the blue uniform, Canberra's current top cop Ray Johnson will leave the force completely after a 35-year career, taking on a newly created role as deputy Commissioner with the ACT's Emergency Services Authority.
Mr Gaughan has held many key roles within the AFP combating organised crime, cyber crime, human exploitation, and terrorism. Those within the organisation describe him as intelligent, tech-savvy and well-connected.
Most recently his AFP operational role was mired in controversy when he ordered search warrants executed on ABC offices and the home of Canberra-based News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst in June last year to investigate breaches of the Crimes Act and the public disclosure of so-called "official secrets".
On a technicality, Ms Smethurst won a High Court ruling challenging the legality of the police raids.
Appointing a deputy Commissioner to the ACT role for the first time in decades means the territory's voice carries more clout at the discussion table when commissioners from around the country gather.
"I'll say my piece and I'll say it in the best interests of the ACT community and the fact that I've acted in the Commissioner's role means that people will listen to what I have to say," deputy Commissioner Gaughan said during a press conference on Wednesday.
He said he would bring "different thinking" to the Chief Police Officrer role and he "might utilise some of the national capability to assist ACT Policing".
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