Western Australia's newly appointed police chief has pledged to continue efforts to improve relations with the state's Indigenous people.
Deputy commissioner Col Blanch will take over the top job from July 15.
He replaces Chris Dawson, who is set to be sworn in as the state's next governor.
An external panel had unanimously backed Mr Blanch's appointment following a national recruiting process, Police Minister Paul Papalia said on Tuesday.
The incoming commissioner intends to prioritise providing victims of crime with faster resolutions while also continuing a crackdown on bikies and other organised criminal groups.
Improving the force's relationship with Indigenous people will also be a focus, with WA recording the nation's highest Aboriginal incarceration rate.
"One of the greatest things in coming to Western Australia for me is having some mentors from the local community, particularly the Aboriginal community," Mr Blanch told reporters.
"(They) have guided me through how to best deal with the complex problems that are existing up north.
"I meet with them regularly and that's something I'm absolutely focused on, to continue the mantle from Commissioner Dawson's apology in 2018 about our relationship with the Aboriginal community."
Aboriginal Legal Service of WA chief executive Dennis Eggington last week told AAP there had been little meaningful progress in improving that relationship, despite the "very brave and very welcomed" apology from Mr Dawson four years ago.
Having previously held roles in Victoria and at the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission in Canberra, Mr Blanch returned to WA as assistant commissioner in 2018.
He gained recognition last year when he announced four-year-old Cleo Smith had been found alive, having received an early morning phone call from one of his detectives.
"It's a moment I'll never forget," he said.
Mr Papalia said Mr Blanch, who will serve a five-year term, had helped guide WA through the COVID-19 pandemic and would bring continuity and certainty to the role.
