Vic top cop brought stability to force
He was the police chief with a steadying hand who was never afraid to show emotion - including on his last day.
His eyes welling with tears, Victorian chief commissioner Ken Lay revealed he was leaving the top job earlier than expected to be with his wife, Chris, who is battling illness.
"The time is now right for me to return the unconditional support she has given," he told a media conference.
His voice wavering, Mr Lay's wife chimed in from the sidelines buying him time to compose himself. "Toughen up, princess," she quipped.
Mr Lay says his proudest achievement has been the change in the community's attitude towards violence against women and children.
"These complex, yet cowardly crimes wreak untold havoc on our society," he said.
"I just hope that in my time I have tweaked a few consciences."
Looking back, Mr Lay said the death of Luke Batty had a profound effect on him, as did other high profile murders like Jill Meagher and Sarah Cafferkey.
"As a chief commissioner, you'd like to think you could keep your community safe," Mr Lay said on Monday.
"But for any number of reasons, these people have lost their lives - those matters stay with me."
Mr Lay was the steadying hand as Victoria Police faced one of the most tumultuous times in its history.
The force was in disarray when he was appointed in 2011.
Police union boss Ron Iddles said Mr Lay managed to take the focus off internal problems within a force and shift it onto core policing issues.
"He came in at a time when force was in turmoil and had lost confidence of public and its members," he said.
His departure at this time showed his character.
"He's put his family first. Sadly, some police officers don't do that."
Although he is leaving, his strong advocacy in the area of family violence lives on.
"There's no doubt putting family violence on the front page will live on and that will probably be his best legacy," Detective Sen-Sgt Ron Iddles said.
"Because of his attitude, we now have a royal commission which will look at family violence."
Premier Daniel Andrews said deciding to put his family first showed the mark of a man who has been a popular leader, he said.
"Victoria could not have hoped for a better chief commissioner of police," Mr Andrews said.
Mr Lay, known in public for his soft voice and mild manner, said he felt enormous pride sitting in parliament last week to hear a royal commission into family violence is part of the new government's agenda.
He leaves with the belief that more police in more police stations is a bad strategy and wants to see a flexible workforce and greater investment in specialists.
"The 50s and 60s were wonderful decades. But if we think we can use the same geographical model of policing, 65 years on, we are putting our heads in the sand and we will do our community harm in the process," he said.
