Acting Assistant Commissioner John O'Reilly




Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Detective Superintendent John O'Reillly


John joined the NSW Police Force in 1981.  He initially undertook General Duties at Merrylands Police Station before moving into Criminal Investigation duties in the City. John continued Criminal Investigation duties at other locations in Sydney’s Western Suburbs and the Blue Mountains.   

In 1989 he joined the Special Weapons & Operations Squad before moving into Criminal Investigation Duties at the Organised Crime Squad, specialising in a number of areas including the Armed Hold Up Squad and Child Protection. During this time, he also assisted with the COPS Project, developing the case and charge management modules.   

In 2001 he transferred to City Central Local Area Command, where he performed General Duties and a Duty Officer Role. In 2002 he was promoted to the rank of Inspector and took up duties as Operations Manager within the Commissioner’s Office.

In 2006, John transferred to the Eastern Beaches LAC as a Duty Officer. In 2007 he took up a position as Investigation Team Leader with the Professional Standards Command.

In 2007 Detective Superintendent was promoted to role of Commander, Operations Group, Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics.

Under the Command of Detective Superintendent John O’Reilly the Operations Group is responsible for:
·                     Strategy Unit; 
·                     Community Contact Unit; 
·                     Education & Training Unit; and 
·                     Security Management Unit.

Providing a liaison point for region and specialist operations, the Commander also ensures that both police and external bodies are educated in relation to terrorism trends and threats. Through the Strategy Unit, research and evaluation is conducted in relation to world events and trends to provide current and relevant information on contemporary terrorism issues.

The Community Contact Unit acts as a conduit for reciprocal information flows between the CT & ST Command and communities at risk of radicalisation, or likely to be impacted by NSW Police Force use of new terrorism powers, or communities who may be the victims of terrorism or politically motivated violence. Officers from the Unit actively engage with communities to promote positive working relationships, community partnerships and increased understanding of NSW Police Force counter terrorism response arrangements.

The Education and Awareness Unit facilitates centralised education for all groups within the command as well delivering information to police who have a need to be informed in relation to their role in Counter Terrorism.

The Security Management Unit provides a quality protective security service to selected NSW Police Force and State Government complexes, ensuring an overall safe and secure working environment for personnel, property and information.

Detective Superintendent O’Reilly is regularly involved in NCTC related meetings, operations and working groups and is the NSW Police Force representative of the National Spatial and Information Management (NSIM) Working Group. He liaises regularly with senior members of the Attorney General’s Dept, Australian Federal Police and other Government Departments in the National Security Arena, all of which require the highest degree of confidentiality and appropriate clearance. 

John holds a Graduate Diploma in Criminology from Sydney University.