We are pleased to announce that Western Australian Police Commissioner Karl O'Callahan will be presenting a talk at the 2010 Positive Schools Conference
Mr. O’Callaghan was born in the United Kingdom and came to Western Australia with his parents in 1970. He attended Kalamunda Senior High School, completing Year 12 before commencing employment with the Western Australia Police Service, as a Police Cadet in 1974.
He entered the Police Academy in 1975, graduating as Dux of Course 3/75 in January 1976. Mr. O’Callaghan’s policing career has encompassed Police Communications, Port Hedland Police Station, Accident Inquiry Section, Perth, Manjimup Traffic and General Duties, Community Education, and the Police Academy.
In 1996 he was promoted to Superintendent, Professional Standards and in 1998 was appointed to the management of the policing operations of the Northam (now Wheatbelt) District as District Superintendent, and later as District Superintendent Cannington (now South East Metropolitan) District.
Mr. O’Callaghan was then appointed in 2001 to the position of Assistant Commissioner, Strategic & Corporate Development (formerly Policy, Planning & Evaluation). This role included responsibility for the Strategic Plan and Annual Business Planning process, legislative reform, major IT-based business re-engineering projects, replacing the Radio Communications infrastructure (PMRN) together with management of Corporate Projects and major Corporate Reform and implementation of Royal Commission recommendations
He has also performed the role of Acting Executive Director and Deputy Commissioner (Standards & Reform). Key roles in these areas included Capital and recurrent budget submissions to Government, developing and maintaining strategic asset management plan, continuous improvement in organisational development, oversight of finance, Assets and Human Resources Directorates, training and development for agency employees, contributing to corporate decision making as part of the Strategic Executive and Corporate Management Groups and oversight of the implementation of the Kennedy Royal Commission recommendations
Mr. O’Callaghan’s qualifications include a Ph.D, Bachelor of Education (1st Class Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Education), from Curtin University of Technology. He’s also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Sellenger Centre for Police Research, Edith Cowan University.
In 1997 Mr. O’Callaghan was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and completed an international study of the development of ethics and professional standards education in police services.
Mr. O’Callaghan is married with four children and in his spare time enjoys the leisure pursuits of fishing, diving and music, along with a keen interest in English history.
