Two high profile police figures in rural NSW have been announced to be departing from their respective roles after taking on new career opportunities.

Orana Mid-Western PD Superintendent Peter McKenna finished his role overseeing the Orana Mid-Western Police District on Friday 25 June, following a promotion and commenced his new role as Assistant Commissioner, Northern Region Commander, based in Newcastle, on Monday 28 June.

Mr McKenna will now oversee 11 police districts from the Central Coast to Tweed Heads on the Queensland border.

Supt McKenna has been at the helm of the Orana Mid-Western Police District since December 2017 when it was first created. Western Region Assistant Commissioner, Geoff McKechnie APM, said Mr McKenna had brought positive innovations to the district throughout the past four years.

“Superintendent McKenna has made a real difference during his tenure at Orana Mid-Western Police District,” Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.

“His leadership of strategies aimed at reducing youth crime have achieved incredibly positive results. I thank him and his family for all they have done for our communities.”

Speaking on his accomplishments during his time in the west, Mr McKenna said the Orana Mid-Western PD became a successful model through significant crime reduction and the increased ability to share resources across the district.

Superintendent Peter McKenna has left his role of Orana Mid-Western Police District Commander after being promoted to Assistant Commissioner. He will move to Newcastle to head the Northern Region.

“Orana Mid-Western PD quickly set the template for all other amalgamations and proved particularly beneficial to outer-lying sections which were previously more isolated,” he said.

“We formed large proactive crime teams, a drug unit, bike squads, and were able to strike across the district to supress crime as it spiked in any location.”

However, he said his most satisfying achievement was the establishment of the Aboriginal Youth Team under the Walwaay Program which has been a police-led and community-supported program in line with the Commissioner’s RISEUP strategy.

“The program has seen significant reductions in Aboriginal youth entering the criminal justice system in Dubbo,” Mr McKenna said.

“The flow-on effect has been a mutually respectful and overall greater relationship between the police and the Aboriginal community with everyone from Elders through to the kids having a completely different outlook on police and I must say vice-versa.

“I think if there was to be a legacy for me from this police district, the Walwaay Program along with the flow-on effects from it, would be it.”

Mr McKenna said he would take this proactive approach to policing and focus on ensuring youth are given every chance to succeed to his new role in Newcastle.

Elsewhere, the Central North Police District Commander Superintendent Andrew Hurst is also moving away from his role in Bourke - which he started in 2019 - to a newly-created position at Parramatta.

This was Mr Hurst’s third stint in Bourke, having been first transferred there from Mt Druitt in 1999

He said it was the lifestyle and community connection which kept bringing him back, but now a passion for developing strategies to tackle domestic violence, mental health and Aboriginal programs for the entire state takes him to NSW Police Headquarters to head the Crime Prevention Command, commencing Sunday 4 July.

“My new role compliments the studies I completed at the University of Cambridge which was a Masters in Applied Criminology, and this new command really influences the frontline units across the whole state; developing strategies and response to domestic violence and mental health, and crime prevention strategies,” Mr Hurst said.

“There’s a huge responsibility in this new role and a lot of my experiences from Western NSW will be extremely relevant to the position given the social disadvantage that we have in these areas, the frequency of domestic violence, and the crossover of mental health issues.”

Also departing is Superintendent Andrew Hurst, who will be trading in red dirt for city skyscrapers, moving to Parramatta to head the NSW Police Crime Prevention Command.

Mr Hurst said his proudest achievement in his time with the Central North Police District was seeing an enormous level of community engagement in the district.

More broadly across the Central North Police District, Mr Hurst said he is pleased with the reduction of crime within the Walgett, Lightning Ridge and Collarenebri areas of the district through increased partnerships with local agencies and community.

“The issues that thrive in these communities are domestic and family violence, and the issues caused by youth involved in crime and antisocial behaviour,” he said.

“That was a challenge in the 1990s equally as it is today, and while we do things a lot differently now, the legacy is for police in this district and the new commander to improve on the gains that have been made and make it even better.”

Speaking on Mr Hurst's time in the Central North, Assistant Commissioner McKechnie, thanked him and his family for their contribution to the district.

“Supt Hurst has made a valuable contribution to policing in the north west of the state,” Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.

“His high-level community engagement and consultation has led to increased safety for all community members. I wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”