AFP Police Commissioner
Michael Joseph Keelty, APM
Date of Birth: 13 July 1954
Nationality: Australian
Mick Keelty has been Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) since 2001.
During that time the AFP has grown significantly, gaining major new responsibilities in counter-terrorism, high tech crime, international peacekeeping and law enforcement capacity building, while maintaining its commitment to traditional responsibilities of enforcing Commonwealth criminal law and protecting Commonwealth interests from crime.
With a strategic focus on international crime-fighting, education and capacity building partnerships, Commissioner Keelty has received many accolades for his contribution to law enforcement in the region.
Among these are the Bintang Bhayangkara Utama Medal – Indonesia's highest policing award - which was presented to Mr Keelty in 2003 by the then President of Indonesia, Madame Megawati Soekarnoputri. This award recognised the AFP's close cooperation with the Indonesian National Police (INP) in combating terrorism.
In 2008, the President of the Republic of Singapore, Mr Sellapan Ramanathan, honoured Commissioner Keelty with Singapore's Distinguished Service Order. This is the highest civilian award presented in recognition of his contribution to strengthening the working relationship between the AFP and Singapore's Police Force in addressing regional transnational crime.
And in 2009, Commissioner Keelty was awarded the Timor-Leste Medal of Merit by the Office of Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos Horta. The Medal of Merit is the nation's highest award and was presented for distinguished service to criminal justice, stability, peace and order in Timor-Leste.
Mr Keelty is a career police officer with 35 years experience at local, national and international levels. He is the first Commissioner to have been appointed from within the ranks of the AFP and only the second to have served as Commissioner for two terms.
In 1996, Mr Keelty received the Australian Police Medal for distinguished service and in 2003 was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to the AFP.
The AFP is Australia's international law enforcement and policing representative and also the chief source of advice to the Australian Government on policing issues. It investigates all types of transnational crime ranging from international drug trafficking, to online child exploitation, child sex tourism, sexual servitude, fraud, money laundering and identity crime and is a major contributor to Australia's national security strategy. It also performs the community policing role in the Australian Capital Territory.
During Commissioner Keelty's tenure, the AFP's International Network has expanded to include 34 posts in 28 countries, strengthening the fight against transnational crime at its source.
The organisation's international peacekeeping and capacity building operations in the Asia-Pacific region have included missions to Afghanistan, Sudan, East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
Mr Keelty's strategic and collaborative approach to law enforcement has seen him appointed to many senior law enforcement positions, both domestically and abroad.
He co-chairs with Singapore the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering, which comprises 38 member countries and is affiliated with the Financial Action Taskforce – the international policy making body to counter money laundering.
Mr Keelty is Australia's Interpol representative and he represents Australia at ASEANPOL which includes the heads of 10 Asian police forces.
Commissioner Keelty also holds a position on the Board of Governance of the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC), a joint training and capacity building initiative between Australia and Indonesia that is supported by nations around the world. JCLEC is situated in Semarang, Indonesia, and has delivered training and development programs to more than 3700 students since its establishment in July 2004.
Mr Keelty is also a member of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Forum and the Australia and New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA) Board of Management. ANZPAA provides cross-jurisdictional policing services including input into the strategic direction of Australasian policing. It also critically reviews issues to improve cross-jurisdictional information exchange and to provide an independent perspective for significant policing and law enforcement matters.
In Australia, Commissioner Keelty Chairs the Board of the Australian Crime Commission, membership of which includes counterparts from State and Territory Police and the heads of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australian Securities and Investment Commission, Australian Customs Service and the Attorney-General's Department.
He is also deputy chair of the Australian National Council on Drugs, the principal community advisory body to the Federal Government on drug policy.
Commissioner Keelty is a member of the Business Government Advisory Group on National Security, a group that promotes high-level dialogue between business and government on national security, and works closely with bodies such as the Trusted Information Sharing Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection (TISN).
He also chairs the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM) Board of Control. The AIPM provides executive training courses for emerging leaders from Australasian police services, and the Board of Control comprises Commissioner Keelty's counterparts from State, Territory and New Zealand policing jurisdictions.
Commissioner Keelty holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration, a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.