AFP Airport Operations
AFP Airport Operations officers provide a uniformed policing presence at the nine designated Australian airports - Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Uniformed policing
AFP Airport Operations officers provide immediate response to policing matters within the airport precincts. This includes attending to general community policing issues such as:
- investigating minor criminal matters
- patrols
- enforcing Commonwealth law, including the application of local state/territory laws
- taking reports of offences
- making arrests
- conducting interviews
- subsequent judicial processing.
Specialist Policing
The AFP Airport Operations officers also provide a coordinated approach to the deterrence of and response to terrorist threats at Australia's major airports. These officers respond to threats of terrorism in the aviation environment.
Firearms and explosive-detection teams, each consisting of one dog and a handler, provide a highly mobile and unobtrusive explosives detection capability. Firearms and explosive-detection dogs have the ability to detect a range of military and commercial explosives mixtures and weapons. The teams conduct regular firearms and explosives searches at major airport terminals and aviation facilities, as well as searches of aircraft, baggage and freight.
In the event of a terrorist incident, the AFP Airport Operations role is to:
- contain the incident
- cordon the immediate area
- evacuate people who may be in danger
- collect relevant information
- provide on-going support in resolving the incident, under the command of the Airport Police Commander
- investigate.
The AFP maintains a Rapid Appraisal Officer (RAO) capability coordinated by the SRG Bomb Response Team (SRG BRT) in support of its deterrence and detection effort at 9 major airports and 3 protection establishments.
RAO's appraise the possible presence of hazardous items, and provide advice on evacuation requirements and response procedures. They conduct and coordinate bomb search activities for:
- routes/areas
- buildings
- vehicles
- aircraft.
The training program has been delivered over three weeks since late 2012. The Australia-New Zealand Counter Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC) does not recognise the course.
