{{short description|Australian law enforcement official}} {{Use British English|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Cecil Abbott | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO|QPM}} | order = 16th Commissioner of the New South Wales Police | term_start = 30 December 1981 | term_end = 7 August 1984 | predecessor = Jim Lees | successor = John Keith Avery | birth_date = 7 August 1924 | birth_place = Hurstville, New South Wales | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2014|3|12|1924|8|7}} | death_place = Hurstville, New South Wales | spouse = Edna | alma_mater = Sydney Technical High School | signature = | website = | footnotes = | module = {{infobox person | embed = yes | father = | mother = | spouse = | education = | alma_mater = | relatives = Les Abbott (brother) }} }}
'''Cecil Roy "Cec" Abbott''', {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO|QPM}} (7 August 1924 – 12 March 2014) was the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police in Australia from 30 December 1981 to 7 August 1984.<ref name=comm-poster>{{cite web |url=http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/145137/poster_police_commissioners.pdf |title=New South Wales Commissioners of Police |publisher=New South Wales Police |accessdate=12 July 2010 |archive-date=27 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227025718/http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/145137/poster_police_commissioners.pdf |url-status=dead }} 1.07 MB</ref>
==Private life== Cecil Roy Abbot was born in Hurstville on 7 August 1924 and grew up in Hurstville.<ref name=AO/><ref name=leader-funeral/> He married Margaret Edna Robinson on 15 February 1947. They had one son, Paul, who also became a police officer.<ref name=pol-valedict>{{cite press release |author=Andrew Scipione |url=http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZWJpenByZC5wb2xpY2UubnN3Lmdvdi5hdSUyRm1lZGlhJTJGMzY0OTAuaHRtbCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D |title=Latest Media Releases – NSW Police Online |publisher=Police.nsw.gov.au |date=19 March 2014 |accessdate=25 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304124734/http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZWJpenByZC5wb2xpY2UubnN3Lmdvdi5hdSUyRm1lZGlhJTJGMzY0OTAuaHRtbCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Abbott died in St George Hospital in Kogarah on 12 March 2014.<ref name=leader-salute/> His funeral was held in Penshurst, New South Wales. Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione attended and described Abbott as a "man of the utmost integrity".<ref name=leader-funeral>{{cite news|last=Mutton |first=Sheree |url=http://www.theleader.com.au/story/2161498/popular-police-commissioner-cecil-abbott-a-man-of-integrity/?cs=12 |title=Popular police commissioner Cecil Abbott 'a man of integrity' |work=St George & Sutherland Shire Leader |publisher=Theleader.com.au |date=20 March 2014 |page=5 |accessdate=25 March 2014}}</ref>
==Police career== Abbott became a police cadet in 1941 and graduated to the New South Wales Police Force in 1945. By 1974 he was an inspector at Hurstville.<ref name=leader-funeral/><ref name=pol-valedict/> He climbed further through the ranks to be Commissioner of Police for the New South Wales Police and the most powerful police officer in the State of New South Wales.<ref name=leader-salute>{{cite news|author=Mutton, Sheree|url=http://www.theleader.com.au/story/2156096/fomer-commissioner-cec-abbotts-career-saluted/?cs=12|title=Former commissioner 'Cec' Abbott's career saluted|date=18 March 2014|publisher=Fairfax Media|accessdate=18 March 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318214135/http://www.theleader.com.au/story/2156096/fomer-commissioner-cec-abbotts-career-saluted/?cs=12|archivedate=18 March 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==Honours== * On 31 December 1976, he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) "In recognition for services to the New South Wales Police".<ref name=qpm>{{cite web|title=It's an Honour: QPM |publisher=Government of Australia|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1111737|accessdate=9 December 2008}}</ref> * On 11 June 1982 he was awarded the National Medal.<ref name=nat-med>{{cite web |title=It's an Honour: National Medal |publisher=Government of Australia |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/996173|accessdate=9 December 2008}}</ref> * On 26 January 1985 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for "Public service particularly with the New South Wales Police Force".<ref name=AO>{{cite web |title=It's an Honour: AO |publisher=Government of Australia |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/885685|accessdate=9 December 2008}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-civ|pol}} {{succession box | title=Commissioner of the New South Wales Police | years= 1981–1984 | before= Jim Lees| after= John Keith Avery}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, Cecil}} Category:1924 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Australian recipients of the Queen's Police Medal Category:Commissioners of the New South Wales Police Category:Officers of the Order of Australia Category:People educated at Sydney Technical High School