Australian Federal Police Commissioner to stand down

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin has announced he is leaving the force after five years at the helm.

Commissioner Colvin said he made the decision not to extend his five-year contract before the federal election. He will leave the force after September.

"This has been by far the hardest decision of my 30 years as a police officer, but I believe this is the right decision for me, for my family, and for the AFP," he said in a statement.

Commissioner Colvin told the department of Prime Minister and Cabinet of his decision before the election and later informed Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

He said he would work with the government on a transition plan to appoint a new commissioner.

Commissioner Colvin co-ordinated the federal police's national and international response to terrorism between 2002 and 2005, working on the Bali and the Jakarta Marriott Hotel bombings.

He said federal police officers had a "privileged role in society" but it came at a cost, pointing to the life-threatening work they undertook.

"It is with enormous pride that I have led the AFP for the past five years, a time during which we have achieved incredible success against a range of crimes both at home and abroad," he said.