About Us
The New South Wales Crime Commission was established in 1986 and is a statutory corporation of the New South Wales Government. The NSW Crime Commission operates under the direction of the Commissioner with an objective to reduce the incidence of organised and other serious crime across the state of NSW.
The NSW Crime Commission was first established pursuant to the New South Wales Crime Commission Act 1985. The Act has since been repealed by the Crime Commission Act 2012 (‘the Act’) which outlines the agency's key functions.
The NSW Crime Commission is headed by Commissioner, Michael Barnes. The Commissioner is appointed by the Governor and the Governor may, with the concurrence of the Commissioner, appoint two or more Assistant Commissioners for the Commission, at least one of whom must have special legal qualifications.
The NSW Crime Commission is unique in its investigative and intelligence gathering powers. It is one of the few law enforcement and intelligence agencies in Australia that can hold hearings and supply evidence obtained in the course of its investigations to courts and various agencies.
The NSW Crime Commission's investigative work facilitates prosecutions and aids in disrupting criminal activities by:
- using analytical expertise in assessing intelligence and other information gathered
- providing technological assistance to other agencies investigating criminal networks
- exercising special powers to proactively confiscate the proceeds of crime in NSW, putting a stop to illegal activities often before the perpetrator is dealt with by the courts.