From the playground at Boorowa Central School to the state's top police job, the newly appointed NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has made her family and hometown proud.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Born and raised in Boorowa, Ms Webb, rose through the ranks of NSW Police and has been serving as a Deputy Commissioner before it was announced in late November that she would become the first woman in the state's history to take on the top job.
Her brother Rick Keefe said it has been an exciting time for the family and Boorowa community.
"It's just fantastic for the family and the whole community, everyone that runs into me is giving me their congratulations and wishing her all the best," he said.
"Every person I bump into is excited for her and for the town itself... Everyone is ecstatic about it really."
Ms Webb is the eldest child of Jenny Keefe, who resides at Boorowa Hostel and the late Frank Keefe and has three younger brothers - Rick, Michael and Gary (deceased).
"She went right through school here, born and bred here," Rick said.
"On my dad's side, my grandparents are from here as well, [a] long standing family in the area.
"I can remember her graduation day at the academy, mum and dad were there and it was a big day, at Goulburn.
"Mum and dad would be so proud of her."
READ MORE:
She attended Boorowa Central School before moving to Sydney and, in 1987, she officially joined the NSW Police Force.
She performed general duties and criminal investigations both in the metropolitan area of Sydney and Regional NSW.
She has performed duties in the Child Mistreatment Unit, Drug Enforcement Agency, Detectives Training Unit and command roles at Forensic Services Group, Local Area Commands, Operations Manager, North West Metropolitan Region, Commander, State Surveillance Branch and Assistant Commissioner Police Transport & Public Safety Command and Traffic and Highway Patrol Command.'
The commissioner-elect has also led high-level projects including a joint National Institute of Forensic Science/Prime Minister and Cabinet research project, National Accreditation of NSW Police Forensic Services laboratories, and 90 Years/100 Years of Women in Policing celebrations.
In 2017, Ms Webb was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner at the Police Transport & Public Safety Command where she was responsible for a number of frontline and specialist commands including Police Transport Command, Aviation Command, Dog Unit, Major Events and Emergency Management Command, Marine Area Command, Mounted Unit and State Planning Unit.
In July 2018 she was appointed to the NSW Police Legacy Board and to the State Rescue Board in October 2018.
Ms Webb was appointed the Deputy State Emergency Operations Controller in 2019, where she worked closely with all emergency service agencies during the 2019-20 bushfires, floods and COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2020 she was appointed as the first female commander of the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command before her promotion to Deputy Comissioner, Corporate Services in July 2021.
"She's definitely a career copper, she lives and breathes it and has done since the day she went in," Mr Keefe said.
"She's had a lot of different roles and she's well equipped for it I think."
Careers in the police force also seem to run in the family, with Rick's daughters Hayley and Brooke following in their aunt's footsteps.
"They are both stationed down in Sydney, in the thick of it all there," he said.
"Karen has guided them in that direction. She said there were some great career opportunities so my youngest daughter went in first, Hayley and she is stationed at Surry Hills then Brooke, my eldest daughter, she decided to join too and she's stationed in the Inner West.
"They seem to be thriving, they love the challenge."
What do you think?
Send a letter to the editor by filling out the online form below.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark boorowanewsonline.com.au
- Follow us on Facebook