# Jim Lees
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{{Short description|Australian police officer (1920-2004)}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2008}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jim Lees
| honorific_suffix = [QPM](/source/Queen's_Police_Medal)
| order = 15th [Commissioner of the New South Wales Police](/source/List_of_Commissioners_of_New_South_Wales_Police)
| term_start = 17 October 1979
| term_end = 29 December 1981
| predecessor = [Mervyn Wood](/source/Mervyn_Wood)
| successor = [Cecil Abbott](/source/Cecil_Abbott)
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|08|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = [Hornsby, New South Wales](/source/Hornsby%2C_New_South_Wales)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2004|09|03|1920|08|18|df=y}}
| death_place = [Waitara, New South Wales](/source/Waitara%2C_New_South_Wales)
| spouse = Norma
| alma_mater = [Hurlstone Agricultural High School](/source/Hurlstone_Agricultural_High_School)
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
'''James Travers Lees''', [QPM](/source/Queen's_Police_Medal) (18 August 1920 – 3 September 2004) was the Commissioner of the [New South Wales Police](/source/New_South_Wales_Police) from 17 October 1979 to 29 December 1981.[{{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](/source/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}}]
==Private life==
Lees was born in 1920 at [Hornsby, New South Wales](/source/Hornsby%2C_New_South_Wales), and went on to attend the [Hurlstone Agricultural High School](/source/Hurlstone_Agricultural_High_School). He had initially wanted to be a farmer but found that he was not suited for a life on the land.
Lees married his wife Norma in October 1944.[ They went on to have a family with children Sue, John and Peter. Lees also taught a Sunday School and was heavily involved with his church. He also established the Police Christian Fellowship.][{{cite web|author=Moyes, Gordon |authorlink=Gordon Moyes |url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20041026057 |title=Death of Mr Jim Lees, QPM, a former Commissioner of Police |publisher=NSW Parliament-parliament.nsw.gov.au |date=2004-10-26 |accessdate=2014-03-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325100804/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20041026057 |archivedate=2014-03-25 }}]
Lees died on 2 September 2004 at the age of 84.[{{cite news |author=Brown, Malcolm |authorlink=Malcolm Brown (Australian journalist) |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/05/1094322646462.html?from=storylhs |title='Untouchable' police commissioner dead at 84 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=www.smh.com.au |date=2004-09-06 |accessdate=2014-03-25}}] His funeral was attended by incumbent Police Commissioner [Ken Moroney](/source/Ken_Moroney) as well as former Police Commissioners [Cec Abbott](/source/Cecil_Roy_Abbott), [John Avery](/source/John_Avery_(police_commissioner)) and [Tony Lauer](/source/Tony_Lauer).
==Police career==
After giving up on farming Lees accepted as a cadet in the New South Wales Police Force at the age of 17 in 1936. Within six months he was made a [constable](/source/constable) and began to rise through the ranks of the force.
In 1976 Lees became Assistant [Police Commissioner](/source/Police_Commissioner) and was appointed Commissioner in October 1979. As well as receiving 12 New South Wales Police commendations he also received the [Queen's Police Medal](/source/Queen's_Police_Medal) in 1976, the [Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal](/source/Queen_Elizabeth_II_Silver_Jubilee_Medal) in 1977, the [National Medal](/source/National_Medal_(Australia)) also in 1977, and the honour of receiving the [Australian Father of the Year award](/source/Australian_Father_of_the_Year_award) in 1981.
==References==
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{{succession box|title=[Commissioner of the New South Wales Police](/source/List_of_Commissioners_of_New_South_Wales_Police)|before=[Mervyn Wood](/source/Mervyn_Wood)|after=[Cecil Abbott](/source/Cecil_Abbott)|years=1979–1981}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lees, James}}
Category:1920 births
Category:2004 deaths
Category:Commissioners of the New South Wales Police
Category:Australian recipients of the Queen's Police Medal
Category:People educated at Hurlstone Agricultural High School
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jim Lees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Lees) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Lees?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.