“I would say I respect everyone’s view on this,” he told the Herald. “I’m not saying I’m right,  [or] I’m wrong, but I think the commissioner has a right to come out and have an opinion on how I think it [pill testing and reducing strip search powers] will impact on public safety.”

He said he did not regret saying a “little bit of fear” of police helped deter those on the verge of becoming criminals,  while citing a rise in knife crime in London after police powers were wound back.

“A lot of the way we culturally conform to laws is around a fear of being caught,” Mr Fuller said.

“If you think about drink-driving … a lot of people who don’t drink-drive do so because they have a real fear they will get pulled over by police.

“I think a 'consequence policing' model is an important one.”

But he said this did not define his views on how to treat young people and crime. “We divert thousands of young kids and do amazing things through the PCYC’s,” Mr Fuller said.

With the fifth anniversary of the Lindt cafe siege looming next month, Mr Fuller also spoke of the work being done by former hostage Louisa Hope, who has spoken to a number of policing, tactical medicine and counter-terrorism conferences in the years since her ordeal.

He said it was rare for police and other front-line responders to be able to hear from a survivor about “what it is like to be in the most stressful situation that you could think of”.

He said Ms Hope, who was injured during the siege, was “born with a very good heart and over the years I have seen her grow in stature. It's an inspiration”.