New South Wales Crime Commission

New South Wales Crime Commission
Common nameNSW Crime Commission
AbbreviationNSWCC
Agency overview
Formed20 January 1986
Preceding agency
  • State Drug Crime Commission
Employees150
Annual budget$23,000,000
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionNew South Wales, Australia
Constituting instruments
  • Crime Commission Act 2012
  • Criminal Assets Recovery Act 1990
Operational structure
Headquarters453–463 Kent Street, Sydney, Australia
Agency executive
  • Michael Barnes, Commissioner
Units
5
  • Criminal Investigations Division
  • Financial Investigations Division
  • Corporate Services Division
  • Governance Unit
  • Legal Unit
Website
http://www.crimecommission.nsw.gov.au

The New South Wales Crime Commission is a statutory corporation of the Government of New South Wales. It is constituted by the Crime Commission Act 2012, the object of which is to reduce the incidence of organised crime and other serious crime in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

In more recent years, the commission has also taken on a charter of assisting with the investigation of terrorism related offences. However, it became the subject of controversy following various allegations relating covert operations, secrecy and absence of defined accountability, and the conviction of an assistant director for serious criminal activities. In August 2011 the NSW Government announced that a Special Commission of Inquiry would be conducted into the NSW Crime Commission. Headed by retired Supreme Court justice David Patten, the Inquiry handed its report to the Government on 30 November 2011. Its findings have been made public. It found no evidence of misconduct or impropriety other than that of the assistant director, whose arrest and conviction could not have been achieved without the investigative work of the Crime Commission.