Ken Lay (police officer)

Chief Commissioner
 Ken Lay
APM
21st Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 November 2011
Preceded by Simon Overland
Personal details
Born Kenneth Douglas Lay
17 February 1956 (1956-02-17) (age 56)
Korumburra, Victoria, Australia
Alma mater Monash University
Occupation Police officer

Kenneth Douglas "Ken" Lay, APM (born 17 February 1956 in Korumburra, Victoria) is an Australian police officer, and the current Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police.[1]

Lay was raised in the town of Korumburra in Victoria's South Gippsland region. He joined Victoria Police in 1974, serving in Melbourne at Prahran before being stationed in regional Victoria including as an Inspector in his home town.[1]

In 2003, Lay was appointed chief of staff to Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon, then promoted to Assistant Commissioner for North-West Victoria in 2005, Assistant Commissioner (Traffic and Transit Safety) in 2008. In 2009, he became Deputy Commissioner (Road Policing)—Victoria's top "traffic cop".[1]

In October 2009, Lay was photographed by a speed camera driving 10 km/h over the speed limit through the town of Tooborac. He kept the speeding offence under wraps due to concern about undermining a Christmas road toll campaign, but admitted his error to Chief Commissioner Simon Overland. Lay announced the speeding offence publicly in January 2010.[2]

When Overland resigned as Chief Commissioner in June 2011, Lay was made Acting Chief Commissioner. On 14 November 2011, Premier Ted Baillieu and Police Minister Peter Ryan announced that Lay had been formally appointed as Victoria Police's Chief Commissioner.[3]

Awards and honours

Lay was awarded the National Medal for 25 years long service in December 1990,[4] with the first clasp in 1999.[5] He was awarded the Australian Police Medal (APM) in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Peter Munro (19 November 2011). "The boy from Korumburra grows up into a quiet achiever". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/the-boy-from-korumburra-grows-up-into-a-quiet-achiever-20111119-1nojv.html. Retrieved 19 November 2011. 
  2. ^ Anthony Dowsley, Antonia Magee (15 January 2010). "Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland backs top traffic cop Ken Lay after revelation of speeding offence". Herald Sun. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/deputy-commissioner-ken-lay-caught-speeding-through-country-town/story-e6frf7jo-1225819442669. Retrieved 21 November 2011. 
  3. ^ "Victoria gets new top cop". 774 ABC Melbourne. 14 November 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-14/lay-named-police-chief-commissioner/3664446/?site=melbourne. Retrieved 21 November 2011. 
  4. ^ LAY, Kenneth Douglas, It's an Honour, 3 December 1990.
  5. ^ LAY, Kenneth Douglas, It's an Honour, 31 July 1999.
  6. ^ LAY, Kenneth Douglas, It's an Honour, 11 June 2007.
Police appointments
Preceded by
Simon Overland		 Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police
2011–present		 Incumbent
Mitchell (1852–1854)  · MacMahon (1854–1858)  · Standish (1858–1880)  · Chomley (1881–1902)  · O'Callaghan (1902–1913)  · Sainbury (1913–1919)  · Steward (1919–1920)  · Gellibrand (1920–1922)  · Nicholson (1922–1925)  · Blamey (1925–1936)  · Duncan (1937–1954)  · Porter (1955–1963)  · Arnold (1963–1969)  · Wilby (1969–1971)  · Jackson (1971–1977)  · Miller (1977–1987)  · Glare (1987–1992)  · Comrie (1993–2001)  · Nixon (2001–2009)  · Overland (2009–2011)  · Lay (2011–present)