Premier orders inquiry into top cop's leadership

Premier Ted Baillieu. Photo / Getty Images

Victoria's police force was in crisis yesterday as Premier Ted Baillieu ordered an inquiry into the leadership of Chief Commissioner Simon Overland and the Police Union prepared for a vote of no confidence in their embattled boss.

Overland's job is on the line after a series of allegations and bungles that peaked last Friday when the commissioner in effect sacked his popular deputy by ordering him on leave until his resignation takes effect in August.

Tensions between Overland and Sir Ken Jones have become increasingly bitter - with reports that the pair are no longer on speaking terms - as relations between the commissioner and Victoria's new conservative Government have soured.

Late yesterday, after the State Cabinet grilled Overland on Jones' sacking and debated his future for much of the day, Baillieu said the Government retained confidence in Overland and continued to support him.

But he said the Government was concerned with a range of issues - particularly the decision to remove Jones from active duty.

Baillieu has appointed Jack Rush, QC, the counsel assisting the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, to head a special inquiry into shortcomings in the force's senior command structure.

Overland has been accused of having been too close to the former Labor government.

The State Ombudsman is investigating allegations that the commissioner helped ousted Premier John Brumby ahead of last year's election by assisting the release of selective crime statistics.

Further controversy has followed revelations that the force's crime database had exceeded its budget by A$100 million ($135 million) and allegations that failures in communication over parole details may have led to several deaths.

Although not directly related to Overland, the State Government is also investigating reports the decision to allow former drug tsar Carl Williams to mix with other high security criminals led to his murder last year.

Overland, who previously worked for the federal police and was a key figure in the establishment of the Australian Crime Commission, made his mark in Victoria through the gang wars that left as many as 30 people dead.

He headed Task Force Purana against organised crime in Melbourne.

But he has increasingly fallen out with subordinates and rank-and-file officers as well as with the Government of Baillieu.

Last month the frictions became public when Baillieu made it clear he was near the end of his patience with Overland's failure to solve the run of problems afflicting the force, including the strains with Jones and other senior officers.

Instead, tensions have risen, peaking with last Friday's effective sacking of Jones, who was recruited two years ago from Britain after earning an international reputation as a corruption-buster.

He was widely expected to succeed Overland, but as the relationship between the two collapsed, Jones decided to quit.

On Friday Overland told Jones to immediately take leave until his resignation took force in August, describing the decision as "right for both him and Victoria Police".

Baillieu ordered Overland to explain his action to the State Cabinet yesterday - which was provided with legal advice on the issue - while the Police Union urged the Government to sack Overland.

But the commissioner is refusing to back down, telling reporters there is no basis for dismissal and that he intends to serve his full three-year contract.

"I get no sense of crisis within the organisation," he said.

"I think pretty much every chief commissioner at some stage has had a vote of no-confidence passed against them."

Overland said he had not sacked Jones, but that despite being asked to stay on, the deputy commissioner wanted to resign.

Overland said yesterday that he could not yet reveal the reasons for bringing forward Jones' exit but that the decision was not forced by personal animosity.