AIPM McCaffrey Lecture

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Physical, Intellectual and Environmental Co-existence: Learning from our Environments

Inaugural McCaffrey Lecture  by Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty APM

Monday 27 November 2006, Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM), Sydney

Distinguished guests, staff, and participants of the 101^st Police Management Development Program.

To deliver the inaugural McCaffery Lecture in this wonderful part of the world is a great privilege for me and I thank you for the honour. I also wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of this country, and acknowledge their elders both past and present, for their connections with this place.

As the Chair of the Australian Institute of Police Management Board, I take a very active interest in everything that happens here as it is an important part of the leadership role to ensure the development of future leaders our Australasian police organisations.

The courses provided here are at the cutting edge of learning and development for police executives anywhere in the world and I congratulate the staff for their on-going commitment to excellence.

The role of policing has probably changed more within the past ten years than at any other time in history so being contemporary and predictive is essential and the course curricula reflects these challenges.

As participants in the 101^st Police Management Development Program, you are making history. The fact there have been so many programs indicates the sustained commitment to educate and train high quality police officers who will provide leadership to many police forces across the world. You are continuing the proud tradition the AIPM instigated 46 years ago.

 Casting back to that time, I find it so interesting to review the history behind the original idea for this training establishment.

It actually dates back to 1944 while Australia was still embroiled in World War 2. The Australian Police Commissioners were meeting in Adelaide for their bi-annual conference and discussions were held as to the value of establishing a school for ‘training instructors’, with fingerprinting and modus operandi as the first possible courses[1].

An on-going topic of ensuing conferences was the value and importance of exchange programs so police could gain knowledge by being exposed to other situations, and developing personal friendships with their colleagues. This more informal method of learning has always been regarded as an important part of police professional development and continues today.

Another topic during the Commissioners early discussions on this subject included the value of international exchanges with one of the very first between New Zealand and New South Wales proposed in 1947.[2]

During the 1954 meeting, a proposed syllabus was presented by Mr Ray Whitrod, the Director of the Criminal Investigation Service who later became Commissioner of the Queensland Police. This site was suggested as the venue for the Australian Police College[3]. By 1957, the sub-committee charged with developing the idea for the ‘school which would provide higher forms of Police training’[4] was firmly underway.

During the 1958 meeting[5] the desired attributes of the Principal were articulated –

‘The Commandant is first and foremost an experienced Services administrator and his task is to hold the reins of the College and to project his personality and talent as a man, a soldier, and an administrator over the whole field of the College activity. The place and tone of the institution are set by the Commandant and his particular personality.’

My address to you today is the inaugural McCaffrey Lecture to be delivered bi-annually at the Institute. It is named in honour of the first Principal of the Australian Police College, Lieutenant Colonel John McCaffrey.

‘Black Jack’ as he was affectionately known, served as a professional Army officer for 28 years and, as a junior officer, was attached to the British Army in India. He was deployed widely with the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II.

Following the war, he was attached to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan where he was the first Commanding Officer of 4^th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment that eventually provided trained reinforcements for the Korean War. Lieutenant Colonel McCaffrey was later seconded to the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department following his role providing professional liaison between the Police Commissioner’s Conference, the Police Minister’s Conference and Army Headquarters, and was appointed as Principal of the Australian Police College on 15^th June 1960.

Lieutenant Colonel McCaffrey was noted as an officer with experience in the design and delivery of training, an accomplished lecturer and astute assessor of student skills. He was an effective leader and administrator who created the direction of the College for years to come.

Over time, the Australian Police College has evolved to become the Australian Institute of Police Management, of which you are now a participant, and we all owe a debt of gratitude to the diligence, vision and professionalism of John McCaffrey and those earlier Commissioners.

Since its inception, the Institute has welcomed visiting fellows and participants from a spectrum of international police and law enforcement agencies to enhance the development of teamwork across international boundaries.

Each year, there are at least 20 international course participants and 12-15 Visiting International Fellows with representation from South America, China, India, Belgrade, the UK and other European nations, SE Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

These connections are critical when we appreciate the transnational nature of crime which has accelerated through globalisation and the new role of capacity building and peace keeping which I will address shortly.

Policing was contained within state jurisdictions until 1960 when the Commonwealth Police Force was established and with it, the Australian Police College.

It is important to know this history as it provides points of reference regarding changes in policing during this period of time. As Manning Clark said, “How can you know where you are going if you don’t know where you’ve been?’

Consider how different the communication structures were in the 1960’s. Terrestrial telephones, mail and cablegrams were the only forms of technical communication with air-mail delivery only a few years old. This left policing (and other) organisations with only rudimentary interoperability.

The sharing of information – an integral aspect of today’s policing – was dictated by geographic constraints, a situation completely different to today with almost instantaneous availability of information from every corner of the world.

On reflection, this is why it has taken us so long to broaden our thinking about policing in this country and the Principles of Policing. Our context was restricted by the preoccupation with jurisdiction rather than, the professionalism doctrine we needed to establish.

When Colonel McCaffrey assumed the role of Principal, policing was very much a localised activity, especially in rural areas. The community constable was well known and provided the reference point for socially acceptable behaviour – and assisted in shaping the standards within that community. With the majority of the population originating from Anglo-Saxon sources, there were few cultural differences and, therefore, no real requirement to have a wider knowledge.

Historically, off-shore interventions and capacity building roles activities were filled by the military. Australia’s history is rich with honouring the best-known such as ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day and more recently, the Battle of Long Tan. These wars and battles were instrumental in shaping our national identity and feature at the fore-front of most Australian’s minds as the most significant military events in our white-settlement history.

In Australia, we are incredibly fortunate to live in an environment where we are not preoccupied by concerns for our personal safety. But, the growth area for policing has been in offshore interventions and capacity building. The decision by the Australian Government to create the IDG and now build it to a force of 1200 brings with it, a new approach to policing and at the same time, it is challenging our notions of the Principles of Policing as we carry out our duties in a ‘foreign policy space’.

But, if we are to consider that the offshore deployments are as much to do with our own security and the complexity associated with the concept of ‘national security’, then we must accept that police have found themselves in a role formerly, and almost solely, occupied by the military.

Bernard Miyet, a former Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations in the United Nations took this one step further as far back as 1998 and said that, “the use of police in peacekeeping represents a vital, new dimension of our efforts to respond effectively to complex problems posed by civil conflict”.

The trend in the last 8 years has been for a significant increase in the demand for UN civilian police peacekeeping operations. The UN reports that as long term regional conflicts are resolved and move to a “peacekeeping” stage, civilian police will be required

In 1985, Hugh Collins noted “Australia’s interests and identity cannot be enclosed within a consistent set of boundaries…its future and its fate lie in the complex network of global interdependence…..this gives the country a high stake in defining these international conditions, but also means that changes in international norms and trans-national regimes will have direct impact on domestic politics”. This is the situation the AFP is now in and we are aware of the increasing demands on our capabilities as we strive to fulfill many roles and expectations.

Take for example, the roles of Commissioner Andy Hughes in Fiji and Commissioner Shane Castles in the Solomon Islands. Their challenges and complexities are beyond those of many Commissioners of traditional police organisations more familiar to us here in Australia.

While we have a rich tradition in this country of celebrating our military leaders, many people in police leadership positions are facing similar challenges and in some cases, more challenging roles that I think are being overlooked by our political leadership and certainly, our historians. I am confident that at some point in the future, people will look upon these times as the genesis of a new era in police leadership.

This brings me to how the AFP is mindful of potential situations at the global scale and how our intellectual infrastructure is being used strategically so, where ever possible, we are able to predict and prevent catastrophic events.

The art of being strategically proactive, defined as vision + action, requires a vastly different set of mind processes and, if people turn their minds to how they would like our society to behave over the next 20 years is the vision part. Working out how we achieve this at the local, national and international levels is putting it all together and this course in which you are now participating, will contribute to your individual and collective capacities in this regard.

At home and abroad, we are dealing with complexities and attitudes many of us are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with and, as a consequence, need to embrace a different set of paradigms in order to move into new phases and styles of learning and operating.

So, one of the most significant challenges confronting the AFP in this respect is the need to ensure it has the ability, processes, and doctrine to enable it to succeed in the various peacekeeping or law enforcement roles assigned to it.

Our objectives in these off-shore missions can be broadly described in four different tasks:

1. The provision of basic law enforcement and public order for an interim period;

2. The development of indigenous police forces;

3. The monitoring and mentoring of local police units; and

4. Re-establishing and reforming the judicial and penal systems as well as the penal code.

The current number of civilian police peacekeepers deployed in United Nations missions worldwide is about 7,500. The past and present levels of demand create an expectation that the level of civilian police peacekeeping operations will continue at least at the current level, and will probably increase over the next ten years.

At this point, it is useful to stop, reflect and measure the changes in function, expectation and capabilities from 40 years ago and, in doing so we are able to ascertain how the role of contemporary policing is contributing to democratic processes. 

Through our involvement in Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, the Solomon Islands and now Tonga, in law-restoration and then enforcement roles, communities have been enabled to have some sense of surety in their daily lives and operations.

This may not seem much of a deal for us in Australia but if there is uncertainty accompanied by fear even to accomplish simple day-to-day activities, a society cannot function to its potential…….and this potential is a right everyone deserves so they can carry on with confidence.

However, in order to achieve such situations, there are many aspects of training of deployed personnel prior to their commencement in such situations. Within each country and, in some instances, within particular communities, there are cultural and social mores that must be recognised and respected. This is nothing profound – This is simply respect and courtesy as visitors in another country and I think the AFP has acquitted itself very well in this respect.

Emotional Intelligence[6] is now used as a predictor of cultural adjustment in off-shore assignments, especially for prolonged periods. Whereas in the past, emphasis was placed on technical and administrative skills as selection criteria, the inclusion of personality traits is also now assessed and included for suitability.

The capacities of empathy, social responsibility and social relations are deemed essential so the person can be as effective as possible in the designated role. The outcomes include managing any tension between the operation’s objectives and achieving local responsiveness. 

Criteria to ascertain suitability include identifying multiple indicators of learning aptitudes and skills in various social environments, and these cognitive competencies are divided into three main groups of intelligence –

• Analytical - composed of cognitive and emotional intelligence;
• Practical - comprising political, cultural, social, organisational and network intelligence; and
• Creative, which encompasses innovative and intuitive capabilities.

The AFP is very mindful and sensitive to not only how we provide the on-ground support for communities but also how we are perceived to be delivering restorative infrastructures both from the people who live there and from those in neighbouring countries.

As I mentioned earlier, it is impossible not to be affected in some way when serving in an overseas and sometimes volatile environment. Our expectations are not the same if we visit a destination as a tourist rather than a law-enforcer, as we are looking through different eyes.

The physical and social environments and landscapes shape our behaviours and expectations so we adapt accordingly to fit-in most suitably and comfortably…….which brings me to the exciting redevelopment planned for the AIPM on this historic and culturally-rich site.

Noted architect Christopher Alexander[7] said “Human Freedom is not only in our minds; it is a state of grace, natural to us, but too often prevented by the physical environment in which we live” and I see a direct correlation between how we, as police and operating in many arenas, can and will learn from the look, feel, sound and function of this soon-to-be-redeveloped site.

This project, with a budget of $16.24 million, will double the present accommodation and improve the dynamics and learning opportunities for participants and staff.

When discussing Emotional Intelligence earlier, I talked about the desire to have the widest range of characteristics possible to manage appropriately and sensitively in a variety of situations, and this redevelopment provides many analogies for contemporary policing and learning to achieve this outcome.

The planning, creation and delivery so far for the re-development, have required similar skills to police – vision, diplomacy, cultural and environmental sensitivity, a capacity and willingness to learn, flexibility, the desire to leave as small an ecological footprint as possible, and a legacy that will last many years.

The new buildings have been designed using the principles of eco-tourism resorts – to sit lightly on the ground, being subtle yet highly effective, and isn’t this how we want to be in our capacity as valuable and considerate human beings?

Human society is complex and so is Nature – when given the chance – and the inherent features of this site are being honoured and regenerated so the humans are the visitors –

• the resident bandicoots will suffer minimal disturbance as the buildings will be elevated to preserve their habitats;
• the discovery of remnant vegetation species has encouraged the proliferation and incorporation of them into the overall design;
• the penguin colony is being protected so they may continue to breed and live as they have for countless generations.

This project reflects our desire and need to become co-existors with Nature – not managers of Nature and this is a direct correlation to our activities in other cultures – to respect the existing status quo whilst simultaneously being sensitive and effective.

It is possible!

Human activities have shaped our landscapes over thousands of years and will continue to do so with varying results so the environment must not be treated as passive. As we have altered it, so have the elements shaped our learnings and behaviours and this facility will do exactly the same for participants.

The variety of places and spaces within the complex will include pockets of rain-forest, boardwalks, frames with views of short and long horizons, the curvature of the earth, internal and external meeting places, and spots for conversations and reflection.

Nature has a most convincing way of restoring a sense of perspective for us, especially when sitting in solitude on North Head in the realisation that we humans are but a speck in the scheme of universal activities. As we observe the vast ocean curving over the horizon, humility is learned and hopefully applied in our daily activities. Spending time here gives us these reminders to keep a personal and realistic perspective as to who we are and where we see ourselves.

As the founding Commissioners also understood, associations are very important and our linkages and working relationships with many higher education institutions provides mutually beneficial relationships.

Long gone are the days when a policeman had only a basic education; now, we all need wide exposure to many avenues of learning through formal and informal education processes.

The AIPM‘s mission is wide and ambitious in the provision of a learning environment that will soon incorporate much more than just the traditional class rooms. With the emphasis on adult-learning principles which require participants to take responsibility for their learning progress, this simply reflects how we need to function in wider society. Personal responsibility is a component of high emotional intelligence and, the higher the quotient, the more one is able to selflessly serve society.

As Weary Dunlop said ”I have a conviction that it’s only when you are put at full stretch that you can realise your full potential´ Here, in this place of learning, reflection, sharing and personal development, I hope you will all stretch beyond your current capacities to ultimately learn more about yourselves, as this is the territory where the most profound changes can and must take place.

I wish you well for your participation in this course and may you discover much about yourselves and the wider world.

I leave you with some wisdom from author Alvin Toffler -

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write,

but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Thank you.