Superintendent Kylie Endemi clocks off from Oxley police as se moves to the Hunter to be commander of Newcastle

Climbing the ranks in the police force, she's now clocked off duty for Oxley police for the final time as she prepares to tackle a whole new set of crime challenges in the Hunter.

"I will miss the people most, the incredible people here that I've worked with here, and the communities," she told the Leader.

"I had told myself I would have a two-year stint here, and more than 13 years later I'm still here.

"That says something about this town, and all the communities across the region that I have worked with."

Superintendent Endemi finished her last shift in Tamworth on Friday, and is packing as she prepares to take on the top commander's job of Newcastle city police.

At Oxley, she oversaw almost 200 police at more than 20 police stations, but she'll command more officers across two stations in Newcastle.

But saying goodbye to the city - and the region - has been hard.

"We've had some very traumatic times, challenging times but we've had some good times, and there are unforgettable moments," she said.

"It's more than a job, it's our home and it's where we have raised our kids, made great friends, and many people I have worked with or partnered with in the community, those professional partnerships have turned into friendships.

"There is an exceptional group of police who turn up everyday for duty, and their level of passion for their work and their communities is nothing short of impressive.

"But now I go on to a new area, with new people, and different challenges."

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Superintendent Endemi took the Inspector's job in Tamworth in 2010 - the first female to hold the rank at Oxley. She then went on to be Chief Inspector before studying to be Superintendent and landing the top job at Oxley in 2020, cementing her place as the first female commander of the district.

"This job and this region has really put me in good stead and I've evolved in my time at Oxley as a police officer, but also as a leader. And everything that Oxley has given me has made me the leader I am today," she said.

When she took on the commander's job, domestic violence (DV), property crime and drug offending were the top priorities.

"In 2022, the biggest challenge we faced was in relation to youth crime but I'm really proud of what we did, and what we achieved because Operation Mongoose allowed us to create a policing blueprint that we never had before," Superintendent Endemi said.

"Not only did we put [almost 100] offenders before the court but we had a really strong pillar for diversion from the justice system, so not only is there a focus on policing, but we have a focus on trying to save these kids and drive them away from crime.

"The difference with the Mongoose blueprint was that we made it adaptive, flexible and strategic so we made something that was a little bit different to make an impact and we could not have done that without some great sections of the NSW Police Force.

"We've come a long way in relation to youth crime, and there's more work to be done.

"In the DV realm, the new positions we have into our DV team, and proactive crime team are two things I'm really proud of because we did that together to be proactive, not reactive, to crime.

"And that's a mark of success, that I hope that in some small way I have left the place in a better position than when I arrived, and I hope I have done that through my actions and through my leadership."

Superintendent Endemi is also hopeful she has helped to pave the way for more working mothers, in what used to be a male-dominated workforce. She's adamant "you can succeed at both".

"We have some amazing females in this job and in this district and I'm excited about the future of women in policing and women in country areas," she said.

Superintendent Endemi will start her new role in November. Her role at Oxley will be advertised by NSW police with a Central West District Inspector to arrive this month to take on the job until the position is permanently filled.

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