Premier Roger Cook tells Victorians to keep their ‘hand’s off’ Col Blanch amid poaching revelations

Premier Roger Cook has told Victoria to keep their “hands off” WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch amid revelations they are trying to poach him as their top cop. Victoria is recruiting for a police commissioner after thousands of police union members handed down a vote of no-confidence in then-chief commissioner Shane Patton in February amid a long-running pay dispute. The West Australian understands Mr Blanch has been approached by recruiters for the job, which would involve an almost $250,000 pay rise. The revelations prompted Mr Cook to warn his Victorian counterparts: “Hands off, Col’s ours.” “He’s a great Commissioner, he does an incredible job on behalf of the community, and we’d obviously be very, very cranky if anyone thought that they could try and poach him,” he said. But Mr Blanch told The West, “he’s not going anywhere”. “WA is the best place in the world,” he said. “I already have the privilege of leading the best police force in Australia, if not the world. I’m not going anywhere.” Mr Blanch said the pay rise — Victoria’s chief commissioner is paid up to $750,000 a year, compared to WA’s $528,000 — would not be enough to entice him. “I’m here in WA for the place and the people. There’s nothing more important than serving a community that supports its police force like ours does,” he said. “Duty is about what you give, not what you get. And it is a true honour to serve here in WA. I couldn’t be prouder of my officers and our WA community.” Mr Blanch added: “I look forward to working with the next Commissioner of Victoria Police and will give them my full support.” The top cop grew up in WA but moved to Melbourne with his parents as a teenager and joined Victoria Police when he finished school. He returned to WA in 2018 as an assistant commissioner after serving as now WA Governor Chris Dawson’s deputy at the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission in Canberra before being promoted to deputy commissioner eight months later. Mr Blanch was appointed as Police Commissioner on July 15, 2022, for five years. At the time, he was described as the “standout candidate” and was lauded for being one of the country’s leading serious and organised crime investigators. He also helped lead high-profile investigations, including the assassination of bikie boss Nick Martin and the abduction and rescue of Cleo Smith in 2021. The Victorian Government’s bid to find a new chief commissioner comes after, following Mr Patton’s resignation, the acting commissioner, Rick Nugent, revealed he would not apply for the job. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has said the search for a new chief commissioner could take “at least a few months”. The Victorian Government has been contacted for comment.