'I've made mistakes': NSW's new top cop defends suitability for the role

Incoming NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has upheld his reputation in his first press conference since being appointed, acknowledging he has made mistakes in the past.

He says his focus remains on leading with "honesty, accountability, and integrity".

Lanyon has been caught in controversy before, including taking his wife and another couple on an operational police boat one New Year's Eve, and a drunken encounter with paramedics in Goulburn in 2022.

"I have made mistakes in the past and I've been open about them," Lanyon said today.

At today's conference, Lanyon acknowledged that his past incidents could have potentially cost him the position.

Lanyon replaces the first woman police commissioner, Karen Webb, who took on the role in February 2022 before stepping down in June this year, about 18 months before her term was due to end.

Lanyon has been a deputy commissioner in the NSW Police Force since early 2019.

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He has been a member of the force for 38 years, and since last April has headed up the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

"I accept this role knowing how important this mission is for every NSW resident," Lanyon said this morning.

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"That responsibility means fronting up to challenges directly, listening to the community, and working tirelessly to deliver a police force they can believe in."

He said his priorities included tackling organised crime, regional and youth crime, and support for domestic and family violence victims.

"I don't want people just to be safe, I want them to feel safe," he said.

Premier Chris Minns told reporters the decision on who to appoint to the "toughest job in New South Wales" was not based on who had the most "mistake-free" record.

"He is the exceptional leader that the New South Wales Police needs right now," Minns said.

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Lanyon said he regretted both the incidents listed above, and that, in particular, his verbal aggression towards paramedics was "completely out of character".

He said he had personally apologised to the ambulance officers involved afterwards.

Minns said Lanyon had "exceptional leadership" and an "unrivalled work ethic".

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He said he and Police Minister Yasmin Catley decided Lanyon was who they wanted in the commissioner's chair on NSW's hypothetical "worst day".

"He is the exceptional leader that the NSW Police Force needs right now," Minns said.

Catley said NSW faced "very real challenges" in policing, including in recruitment and retention of officers.

"We've worked hard to turn that around but there is so much more to do," she said.

"And we believe Mal is the right person to lead the NSW Police Force into the future."

Catley and Lanyon both praised outgoing commissioner Karen Webb, who officially retires next week.

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