The Governor in Executive Council has today appointed Col Blanch as the next Police Commissioner of Western Australia.
Mr Blanch's appointment is for five years commencing July 15, 2022.
Mr Blanch has served as a Deputy Commissioner in the WA Police Force for the past three years, overseeing key portfolios including Gang Crime, Homicide, Organised Crime, and State Intelligence.
Over almost 30 years of law enforcement, Mr Blanch has held several high-profile roles including Chair of the WA State Emergency Coordination Group, Former Executive Director of Intelligence for the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and Australian Crime Commission State Manager for Victoria.
The selection process for the Commissioner included advertising across Australia and New Zealand and resulted in candidates from other jurisdictions as well as WA.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"Col Blanch has proven himself a leader of integrity who cares deeply about safety of the community and those serving under his Command.
"Mr Blanch was selected as the outstanding candidate on advice from a panel of eminent individuals with experience as senior practitioners in the public service, academia, emergency services and policing.
"Mr Blanch has been directly involved in shepherding the state through the pandemic and he is well placed to lead the Western Australian Police Force as it confronts challenges of the post pandemic world."
As stated by Police Minister Paul Papalia:
"Mr Blanch has proven capacity in the role of Commissioner, having successfully performed extensive periods as Acting Commissioner in recent years.
"Under Mr Blanch's leadership, WA Police simultaneously kept the community safe during the COVID-19 state of emergency and began a transformation into the world-class organisation it is today.
"Mr Blanch has been directly responsible for transforming policing in the State through employing cutting-edge technology to combine real time intelligence with operations."
