Since being formed in 1979, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has continued to evolve. The AFP of today protects Australians from a wide range of harms by virtue of its diverse functions that span policing, intelligence, and national security.
In a recent Blue Paper, the AFP reflects on its evolution and the reasons driving this change, and outlines its priorities to 2030 and beyond to keep pace with the ever-evolving criminal landscape.
How has the AFP’s role evolved?
The AFP has evolved to have an increasingly international focus. The AFP of today engages and cooperates with international partners and non-government bodies to combat crime and support regional security, safety and stability. It engages in offshore peace, stability and security operations, capacity building missions and capability development, and confiscates property or wealth from criminals that has been illegally obtained.
The range of threats across the AFP’s remit is increasing — from transnational serious organised crime, to cybercrime, foreign interference and more.
What are the reasons behind this evolution?
Rapid advancements in technology, environmental and geopolitical shifts, and the borderless nature of crime is fundamentally changing our society and giving rise to new forms of criminality.
Australians are increasingly being targeted by criminals operating outside of Australia’s borders such as via cybercrime. Australia is also an attractive target of foreign interference and espionage.
The combination of these factors, along with the ability of emerging threats to bypass traditional defences such as physical borders or geography, mean that in order to stay ahead, the AFP must continue to evolve.
The AFP’s future priorities
To successfully meet its challenges and respond to the ever-evolving operational and threat environment, the AFP will focus on five core priority areas to 2030 and beyond:
- Partnerships to accelerate disruptions and outcomes – criminal and non-criminal threats are increasingly rendering borders, geography and technology constraints irrelevant. The AFP’s geographical reach, specialist capabilities and partnerships uniquely position it to lead and coordinate policing responses to address future threats.
- Being leaders in embracing and leveraging technology – crime and technology are increasingly indistinguishable with successful employment of technology being key to the AFP’s future operational effectiveness and efficiency.
- Being flexible and agile to defeat threats – organisational flexibility and agility has been key to the AFP’s past successes and will be increasingly important to its future successes in the face of rapid changes in the operating and threat environment.
- Developing highly sought insights – as a policing agency with a global footprint, the AFP is uniquely positioned to amass critical insights into threats and opportunities confronting Australia and its international neighbours, which are highly sought domestically and internationally.
- Being an employer of choice across law enforcement – the AFP’s success is heavily dependent on the strengths of its people. The AFP’s future ability to attract and retain skills and experience in an increasingly tight labour market will be heavily dependent on the AFP’s positive employer credentials.
Key takeaways
The AFP’s vision for federal policing to 2030 and beyond underscores the need to adapt in the face of evolving threats and challenges. With an increasingly international focus and a commitment to leveraging partnerships and technology, the AFP aims to remain agile, insightful, and an employer of choice in the realm of law enforcement. By embracing these priorities, the AFP endeavours to safeguard Australians and uphold national security amidst an ever-changing landscape of crime and global dynamics.
