NSW Police’s first-ever chief information officer Chris Robson will leave after six years in the job to make way for the force’s incoming chief information and technology officer.
Robson, who joined Australia’s largest police force back in January 2012, will wrap up as CIO ahead of a new CITO joining in the new year, a spokesperson told iTnews.
iTnews can reveal that Gordon Dunsford, currently in the same role at WaterNSW, has been hired as the new NSW Police CITO.
Robson is the second technology executive to depart as the result of a restructure of the force’s business technology team, which has seen the functions of both the CIO and chief technology officer merged into the newly-created CITO role.
Former chief technology officer Syd Griffith departed the force in September after more than 25 years, six of which were spent as CTO.
During his time as CIO Robson led the massive ongoing overhaul of the force's 23-year-old computerised operational policing system (COPS).
He also presided over the introduction of the first body-worn video cameras to frontline police officers and the drastic increase in data that has followed, as well as the rollout of mobile devices.
Robson declined to comment.
Dunsford takes control of NSW Police's technology operations having spent the last two years transforming WaterNSW's IT environment.
Dunsford has more than 20 years' experience in IT across both the public and private sectors, including roles at the Commonwealth Bank, Qantas, Airservices Australia, IBM and Westpac.
He will be initially responsible for building an IT governance framework that aims to strengthen accountability and simplify processes.
The executive will also oversee the rollout of a new computer-aided dispatch system once procurement is finalised.
Dunsford has a significant portion of the $100 million Policing For Tomorrow Fund at his disposal, which has been earmarked for an expansion of the force’s fleet of mobile devices and body-worn cameras.
