Letter to the Editor of the Canberra Times

Dear Sir

Former Chairman of the National Crime Authority John Broome recently wrote of the rapid growth and changing role of the Australian Federal Police (The frayed blue line, Canberra Times, 1 November 2008). While the AFP welcomes commentary and accountability in relation to its performance, it is important that I respond to a number of Mr Broome’s observations.

Firstly, any discussion of role, function and performance the AFP must recognise that it is a unique police organisation by international standards. It is a law enforcement organisation that is as much concerned with protective security, capacity building, regional stability operations and crime prevention as it is with traditional law enforcement.

This has long been the case despite the accelerated growth and diversity of that mandate since 2001, which in 2008-09 has seen the cost of running the AFP grow to $1.23 billion, not $1.77 billion as reported by Mr Broome.

While the growth of the AFP since 2001 has been considerable, it reflects the policy choices and Ministerial Directions of successive governments in response to a changing international environment replete with complex national security, criminal and social challenges.

It is of great credit to the men and women of the AFP that they have been so responsive and innovative in the face of those challenges. Similarly, it gives no credit to base commentary or assessments of AFP operational performance on a single measure such as the number of defendants dealt with by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP).

Nor does it fairly depict the off-shore roles and responsibilities of the AFP International Deployment Group to suggest that they have become ‘paramilitary’ in nature or that confusion exists between our role and that of the Australian Defence Force.

The separation is very clear and fundamental. Our responsibilities relate to restoring law and order in partnership with host country or United Nations law enforcement personnel and developing an indigenous capacity to support the rule of law.

Despite the growth in AFP responsibilities which generally do not result in prosecutions by Australian courts, the CDPP has for some time acknowledged the growing complexity of matters that are referred to them, particularly cases of money laundering, fraud and terrorism, many of which come from the AFP. The complexity and impact of those investigations represent significant qualitative dimensions that should not be overlooked nor disregarded in favour of quantity.

It is also important to remember that by their very nature these complex national and international investigations take many months or even years to complete, and even longer to prosecute.

External advice has also been forthcoming for several years following my invitation and appointment of a number of highly experienced and respected individuals to the AFP Senior Leadership Group in a non-executive capacity.

Those roles are currently performed by Mr Will Laurie, former Senior Partner, Price Waterhouse Coopers and Mr Ric Smith, former Secretary of the Department of Defence, who together provide a valuable infusion of objective advice and experience.

Having taken steps some years ago to establish what is in effect a non-statutory board to assist with the good governance of the organisation, the AFP has demonstrated that is neither inwardly focussed nor resistant to external scrutiny and accountability.

M J Keelty