New ACT Policing Chief Police Officer
Kevin Wolf - 2CC Interview with Chief Police Officer Audrey Fagan
Tuesday 5 July 2005
Kevin Wolf: Kevin Wolf here for Mike Jeffreys and we're going to chat now with the new Chief Police Officer of the ACT, Audrey Fagan. She was named as the new boss, if you like, following the retirement of former ACT Police Chief John Davies. Ms Fagan's had more than 24 years of service with the AFP. She'll be the first female police chief in the nation's capital. Great stuff. Originally started back with ACT Policing I think in 1981 and she's back again and her job with ACT Policing as the boss. She started at the beginning of the week and we have Chief Police Officer Fagan on the line, good morning.
Audrey Fagan: Good morning Kevin how are you?
Kevin Wolf: I'm well, look: can I call you Audrey?
Audrey Fagan: Absolutely.
Kevin Wolf: Good on you Audrey. OK tell us about yourself. I've said that you started back in 1981. Can you give us a brief resume of Audrey Fagan's career in the police?
Audrey Fagan: I'll try and do that for you. Thank you for that. I started in 1981 working here in Canberra; the first good few, four to five years I spent with community policing, then Christmas Island, out in the Indian Ocean, then involved in Detective training, internal investigations our integrity area, and then had three years working to three different federal ministers on the Hill as it's known, back into our national area and the senior executive, with the last few years working as Chief of Staff to the Commissioner and integrating the Australian Protective Service into the AFP and a lot of our Counter Terrorism responses I've been involved in. So that's a quick snapshot.
Kevin Wolf: That's pretty impressive Audrey. When you first started off, how do you start, as a constable?
Audrey Fagan: You start off as a constable and I was very young but we might not go into that.
Kevin Wolf: No I don't want to know the age; I know there are rules with women, that's fine. When you started off as a constable where did you want to go with your career as a policewoman? Did you think ok, I want to be the boss or did you just have an area that you thought you might want to sort of delve into?
Audrey Fagan: When I first started I was very keen in investigative work and I worked here in Canberra with Fraud Squad and at the Woden Police Station in what was then called Criminal Investigation Branch. So that investigative work is one of the mainstays of what I wanted to do and I think if you go right back, you know, you ask: why did you join? It was really about a notion of service and helping the community. So I don't think I had any idea that I might be the Chief Police Officer one day but I've got such a good team here, I just find it a very rewarding thing to be able to do.
Kevin Wolf: Well you're talking 24 years of service with the police -- do you believe the perception of the job police do these days, compared to when you started, is different?
Audrey Fagan: It has changed, I think that's fair to say. When you walk around Canberra police stations these days you'll run into Volunteers in Policing who are helping us connect with the community; there's a much stronger focus on partnerships, on customer service, and I think that has changed and you know yesterday, I had a terrific opportunity to thank the Canberra community for the work they've done in helping us through Crime Stoppers. To me that's one of the real improvements I think in these sorts of partnerships that we can forge, to make this and keep this a great city to live in.
Kevin Wolf: Audrey, do we have enough police representation or police presence in the ACT, and as a double barrelled question, what do you see as the main challenges in your job now or continuing your services to police in the ACT?
Audrey Fagan: I think that as far as the policing staffing levels go, we are continuing to meet our key performance indicators. The ACT Government and community have funded us to a particular level and those measures dictate what we need to achieve and that's sort of the focus. Once you think about it, about the capability -- we're out there doing the work in the right places at the right time. And if you look at our traffic campaigns, random breath testing etc, they're good examples of appropriate targeting. The second part of the question, my priorities; the first week on the job, second day in: yesterday was welcoming some new recruits which is always wonderful on my first day that I can welcome some new people to the organisation. I'm going around this week talking to the staff, making sure that I'm across what their challenges are, and the community engagement from me is something I really want to lift the tempo on.
Kevin Wolf: Ok, but is there one area in particular or one crime area if you like, that is going to be your main focus, that you think is the biggest concern for the ACT?
Audrey Fagan: As the Chief Police Officer I suppose with each area having a Superintendent, Sergeant, team leaders in charge -- they're all very focussed. I think my challenge will be to be across all the crime types and making those a priority so that we meet the community and government expectations. So I don't really want to be drawn on an individual case or an individual matter because it's about making sure that collectively, we're winning in our fight against crime here in the Territory.
Kevin Wolf: And Audrey how different is it policing an area like the ACT, where there is a Federal Parliament and Government? It's fair to say NSW, QLD, SA whatever, can you outline some differences there?
Audrey Fagan: Well I think this is one of the unique things that I'd love to point out because if you look at the Australian Federal Police and how we police here in Canberra, I've served nationally, I've worked internationally. You know you can do those cycles and similarly when you look at policing the cities here and having our suburban space, we've got the responsibilities of Federal Parliament as you've mentioned. That gives us a unique skill set and I think the AFP is built for our responses; you know if you look at counter-terrorism for example, we've got the capability to reach into our national, international networks very rapidly and I think that should give the community great store in the facilities of the Australian Federal Police.
Kevin Wolf: Ok and just before I let you go Audrey, Crime Stoppers: tell us a feel good story about the job that Crime Stoppers has done.
Audrey Fagan: This is really a thank you to the community Kevin. We were able to announce yesterday that $15 million worth of drugs have now been seized directly as a result of information from Crime Stoppers. We reached that total with the seizure of 120kgs of hydroponically grown cannabis from a residence in Isabella Plains. Crime Stoppers started eight and a half years ago and there have actually been 640 arrests as a direct result, over a million dollars of assets seized and what I'd ask the community is whether they see something or think they have a little bit of information, it can be anonymous, but call us on 1 800 333 000; we will respect their anonymity. We will use that information to help our investigations and add whatever we can to investigate crimes.
Kevin Wolf: Good on you Audrey, good luck in your job, congratulations on the appointment and we wish you the best.
Audrey Fagan: Really appreciate that Kevin and to you and your listeners, have a terrific day.
Kevin Wolf: Thanks for your time.
Audrey Fagan: Bye.
Kevin Wolf: Audrey Fagan who's the new ACT Chief Police Officer. Fantastic.
Ends//