Mr Johnson spent a third of his career in the ACT and has gone on international missions in East Timor, Cyprus and China, where he was a regional manager for AFP international operations.

He has held roles leading special operations, professional standards and AFP operations in the Northern Territory and New South Wales before accepting the top cop job.

"In some ways, it's coming home," Mr Johnson said.

"Other than a short stint in Sydney when I first joined the AFP, the first 12 odd years of my police career was in the ACT, and I think fondly of it and I really look forward to getting back."

Mr Johnson was reluctant to set any priorities for his tenure in the role, saying he would wait to get his feet under the desk and consult with the minister and policing members.

Questioned about his view on anti-consorting laws - a focus of his predecessor - Mr Johnson said that in his experience coordinated legislation across jurisdictions did help in the work against organised crime.

"That said I need to get my feet under the desk, and have a conversation with the minister to understand the government's thoughts.

"One of my initial thoughts ... there's value in synchronised legislation but I need to understand the problem before I can really comment on it."

He said of his policing philosophy that it was important police stayed connected to the community they served.

"In the end, we can't do the work we do without the community. We need the community's trust and we need to be connected to that community," he said.

He also thought police should stay focused on preventing, disrupting and reducing crime. "A successful crime prevented is much better than a crime solved," he said.

Mr Johnson added that he wanted to stay focused on vulnerable communities, who were over-represented in the justice system both as victims and offenders.

Most recently, Mr Johnson was in a management role with workforce development and culture, which included implementing the recommendations of Elizabeth Broderick's culture change report.

Professional standards is also part of that portfolio.

He was awarded the Australian Police Medal in 2013 and received a group citation for bravery for service in East Timor.

Mr Johnson was one of 50 AFP officers deployed to East Timor in 1999, where he said they found themselves in situations that demanded resilience in the face of threats, intimidation and violence.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said Mr Johnson came into the position with a wealth of experience.

"He's one of our most experienced senior officers across national and international and community policing," he said.

Mr Colvin said he had been looking for someone who brought operational experience and who could continue to build relationships with the Canberra community and the government.

He was also looking for someone who would continue work to reform the organisation.

"[ACT Policing] is a core of who we are because so many people in the organisation have come through here at some point," he said.

"What we do in the ACT, how we police in the ACT, affects the broader AFP.

"I had a unique opportunity in Ray who covered all of those bases for me. I'm glad the minister and his colleagues agreed, and I know Ray will be a fantastic CPO."

Mr Johnson takes over from Justine Saunders, who has been in the role for two years and will leave to take up a position with the Australian Border Force.

He starts in the role on November 12.