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Nick Kaldas
NSW Premier Nathan Rees Praises Deputy Commissioner of Police Nick Kaldas
The New South Wales
Premier Nathan Rees has paid tribute to the skills of one the deputy police commissioners
who have been chosen by the United Nations to lead an investigation into the
death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
Nick Kaldas is taking 12 months of unpaid leave from his job to act as the Chief
of Investigations with the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Mr Hariri and 22
others were killed in a 2005 attack in Beirut. Premier Nathan Rees says Mr
Kaldas is highly respected and skilled officer.
"Nick Kaldas is recognised by his peers across Australia as an absolutely
outstanding policeman," he said.
"He's spent time in the Middle East previously, he is acknowledged
internationally as an expert on terrorism and related matters and - sad to see
him go for 12 months - but clearly a vote of confidence in the NSW Police
Force."
Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas said the new role would be a major challenge.
NSW Police Commissioner
Andrew Scipione said that Nick Kaldas’s appointment is well deserved.
“The fact that the United Nations has approached NSW Police to second Nick
Kaldas shows the high regard with which he and the NSW Police Force are held,”
Commissioner Scipione said.
“It is a prestigious international appointment and one which I am sure will see
Nick represent NSW Police and the Australian policing fraternity with
distinction.
“He is a highly experienced officer, and it is a tribute to his skills that he
has been selected from an international field.”
“It is an honour to be selected when the United Nations could have looked to
other jurisdictions to fill this role,” Deputy Commissioner Kaldas said.
“Working for the UN is the closest a police officer could come to representing
their country, so it is a role I take on with a great sense of responsibility.
“It will be a major challenge and I am appreciative of the chance that
Commissioner Scipione and Minister Tony Kelly have afforded me to broaden my
policing experience.”
Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas
Mr Kaldas was born in
Egypt in 1958. He moved to Australia aged 12, grew up in western Sydney and
speaks Arabic. He is a former head of the homicide and gangs squads. He also
spent a year in Baghdad as deputy chief police adviser to the Iraqi Government
Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas has been a NSW Police officer for 27 years. His
career spans a number of areas primarily in major crime investigations,
homicide, armed robbery, major drug investigations, counter terrorism and covert
operations.
From 1999 - 2000 he established and led the Crime Management framework for the
Sydney Olympics, under the Olympic Investigations Strike Force.
From 2000 - 2004 Nick was the Commander of the Homicide Squad at State Crime
Command, including responsibility for the NSW Coroner’s Investigation Unit and
the Unsolved Homicide Unit.
During that time he oversaw the investigation of numerous high profile and
complex investigations and critical incidents. Among other major investigations,
Nick led the high profile investigation into the murder of a Member of
Parliament, John Newman, resulting in the conviction and life sentence of Phuong
Ngo for what the court described as Australia’s first political assassination.
In January 2004 Nick was seconded to the Federal Government and deployed to
Iraq, initially as Senior Police Adviser, National Operations, then as Deputy
Chief Police Adviser to the Iraqi Government under the Coalition Provisional
Authority in Baghdad. On his return to the NSW Police Force he took up the
position of Commander of the Gangs Squad at State Crime Command from 2004-2005.
In late 2005 Nick was again seconded to the Federal Government and redeployed to
Iraq to assist the Iraqi Special Tribunal (Regime War Crimes, the body tasked
with prosecuting Saddam Hussein and his senior officials).
Nick was the Assistant Commissioner, Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics
Command, 2006-2007, and in that capacity, he commanded the central body
responsible for prevention, preparedness and response to both high risk
situations and all acts of terrorism in New South Wales.
In early 2008, he took up the position of Deputy Commissioner, Specialist
Operations, responsible for the following Commands: Counter Terrorism and
Special Tactics, Forensic Services, Special Services Group, State Crime Command,
Business Technology Services, Professional Standards Command, Police
Prosecutors, and Operational Communication and Information Command.
Nick was a Police (Hostage) Negotiator for over 10 years, achieving national
Counter Terrorist level, and completed the FBI Hostage Negotiators Course in
Quantico, Virginia in 1996.He has received a number of Commendations, including
the Australian Police Medal and the National Medal. Following his return from
Iraq he was awarded the Humanitarian Overseas Services Medal. He holds a Masters
Degree in Public Policy and Administration.
