Kathleen Florian, a lawyer with 23 years experience in the investigation of serious and organised crime, has been appointed as the Crime and Misconduct Commission’s (CMC) new Assistant Commissioner, Crime.
CMC Acting Chairperson Warren Strange welcomed Ms Florian’s appointment, announced today by the Attorney-General following approval by the Governor in Council.
Ms Florian will join the CMC in January 2012. She brings extensive experience from senior roles at the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) over the past nine years, including heading up the agency’s operations in Queensland since 2009.
‘The position of Assistant Commissioner, Crime, is a complex and demanding role overseeing our commitment to combating and preventing major crime, including organised crime, criminal paedophilia, serious crime and terrorism,’ Mr Strange said.
‘What’s becoming increasingly significant to the CMC is the borderless nature of the matters we deal with and the growing importance of our relationships with peer agencies in other jurisdictions, both interstate and overseas.
‘Ms Florian is extremely well qualified for the job, bringing a wealth of experience from the ACC, including extensive collaboration with partner agencies and management of multi-disciplinary teams.
‘She understands the organised crime landscape and challenges facing law enforcement agencies, including the CMC, and has extensive experience in appropriate use of powers to intercept telecommunications, conduct investigative hearings and collect intelligence.’
Ms Florian began her career with the Queensland Director of Prosecutions in 1988, before joining the National Crime Authority in 1992, staying on with the ACC when it was established in 2003. She has worked on Italian organised crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, established criminal networks, money laundering and serious fraud, people trafficking for sexual exploitation and crime in the transport sector.
She has an Honours Law degree from the University of Queensland and, in 1992, was admitted as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland. In 1999, she was awarded the Geoffrey Bowen Memorial Award — the highest individual award offered by the National Crime Authority.
Ms Florian replaces John Callanan, who retired last month after serving 10 years as Assistant Commissioner, Crime.
In the past financial year, the CMC’s Crime unit achieved significant outcomes, undertaking 28 tactical operations across all areas of major crime that resulted in 38 arrests and 330 charges.
Over the same period, drugs were seized to an estimated street value of $1.6 million and the agency’s proceeds of crime team set a new annual record, returning $9.3 million worth of criminally derived assets to the state.
