Overview

• Reece Kershaw will retire a year early to spend more time with his family after serving as AFP commissioner since 2019.
• Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett will assume the role on October 4, 2025, becoming the first woman to lead the Australian Federal Police.
• Barrett brings more than 25 years of AFP experience, including counterterrorism leadership in the Solomon Islands and the Bali bombings investigation.
• The federal government extended Kershaw’s term in May 2024 to run until October 2026 before his decision to step down early.
• Kershaw’s tenure saw expanded efforts against organised crime and child exploitation but drew scrutiny over the Dural caravan hoax and findings of systemic racism in the Northern Territory force.