Contents

1.      Chief Police Officer’s Foreword

2.      Ministerial Direction

3.      ACT Policing at a glance

Our Role 

Our Mission 

Our Intent 

Our Values 

Our Governance 

Our Budget 

Our Approach 

Our Performance

Our Challenges

Our People 

Our Future

Our Community

4.      Performance Analysis

Performance Measures

Outcome: Prevent Crime

Outcome: reduce recidivism

Outcome: Prevent Road Deaths and Trauma

Outcome: divert

Outcome: disrupt

Outcome: respond

Outcome: enforce

Outcome: community confidence

Other reporting

5.      Professional Standards

AFP Professional Standards Framework and AFP conduct issues

ACT Policing Complaint Statistics

Trends Analysis

6.      Use of Force

7.      Staffing Profile

Average Full-Time Equivalent and Headcount

ACT Policing Workforce Composition Headcount

Average Length of Service by Gender

Separations

Recruitment

8.      Financials

Financial Performance

Financial Analysis

Asset Management

9.      Appendices

Appendix 1: Financial Statements

Appendix 2: Statement of Performance

Appendix 3: Number of Offences Reported or Becoming Known in the Australian Capital Territory 2019–20 to 2023–24

Appendix 4: Offences cleared by ACT Policing in the Australian Capital Territory 2019–20 to 2023–24

Appendix 5: Percentage of offences cleared by ACT Policing

Appendix 6: Proceedings against offenders by ACT Policing (charges)

Appendix 7: Abbreviations

Acknowledgement of country

The Australian Federal Police acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community.

We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the Elders past, present and emerging.

1. Chief Police Officer’s Foreword

• New Domestic and Family Violence Investigations Unit
• Operation Dongara
• Cultural literacy training
• High-visibility policing
• Operation TORIC (Targeting of Recidivists in Canberra)
• Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Report

It is a privilege to present the ACT Policing Annual Report for 2023–24 as the Chief Police Officer for the ACT (CPO). We strive to deliver a professional and effective service to the people of Canberra and to enhance the safety of the community and I have every confidence that we are doing that right across ACT Policing.

We continue to strive to be a police force that is innovative, intelligence led and community centric and I am proud to inform the community of the following achievements and developments that emphasise our progress in these areas.

New Domestic and Family Violence Investigations Unit

I was proud to be joined by Minister Gentleman in June 2024 to announce the creation of a new Domestic and Family Violence Investigations Unit, a first for the ACT.

This will see our existing Family Violence Unit expanded, with 23 ACT Policing officers solely dedicated to investigating the highest risk domestic and family violence offenders.

In 2024 alone we have already responded to almost 2,000 domestic and family violence incidents, and the creation of this team is intended to alleviate some of the pressure on our General Duties members and provide greater support to victims in our community.

Every Canberran should feel safe in their own home. Unfortunately, instances of domestic and family violence continue to occur and reporting of these matters increases as the public’s understanding of this issue grows.

What we have seen recently in the ACT is domestic and family violence offences including homicides, violent threats, assaults, stalking and intimate image abuse.

Given the scale of the issue around domestic and family violence both in the ACT and also nationally we saw this initiative as crucial to maintain community safety.

This unit will also include an intelligence capability to better inform ACT Policing around domestic and family violence risks within the ACT.

We hope that these new teams will not only improve outcomes for victim-survivors but also assist General Duties officers who are our first responders to these incidents.

I want the community to feel reassured that my police officers work incredibly hard to support victims and ensure offenders are put before court.

Operation Dongara

I would like to recognise the work of everyone involved in facilitating the recent Guest of Government visits, particularly the June 2024 visit from the Chinese Premier of the State Council of The People’s Republic of China.

Their diligent planning, response activity and professionalism ensured this was a successful visit with minimal disruption to the Canberra community.

The success of Operation Dongara came down to the extensive planning and attention to detail shown by not only members in the Emergency Management and Planning Team but also members from across ACT Policing and the Australian Federal Police who were able to contribute their unique skillsets.

Thanks to each member that supported this Guest of Government visit. It went smoothly with minimal disruption and only one arrest being made. The professionalism with which our members conducted themselves and the planning and resourcing we were able to bring to this task were essential to this success.

Cultural literacy training

A key priority for ACT Policing is community partnerships, with a particular focus on First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities.

At the time of publication more than 750 police officers and professional staff from ACT Policing have completed the First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program (FNCLTP).

Effective policing cannot be achieved without the confidence and trust of the community and this training equips our officers with a broad understanding of the First Nations community’s experience with police and encourages officers to challenge their own cultural assumptions and biases.

High-visibility policing

Although we are a very safe city, I appreciate that events in other parts of the country do influence our community and the community’s sense of wellbeing.

In April 2024 I, and I imagine all Australians, was horrified to hear of the critical incident that unfolded at Bondi Junction Westfield where six people lost their lives. These kinds of incidents hit hard and can shake community confidence.

To reassure the Canberra public that we are committed to their everyday safety, we increased prevention-focussed high-visibility patrols of General Duties officers at several of the major shopping centres across Canberra. The response from the community was overwhelmingly supportive of these additional patrols and I thank the public for their continued confidence in and support of ACT Policing.

Operation TORIC (Targeting of Recidivists in Canberra)

Operation TORIC was established in August 2022 in response to anti-social behaviour on our roads and focuses on the identification and apprehension of high-risk-high-harm and recidivist offenders, who place the community and ACT Policing members in danger.

I am proud to say that in August 2024, Operation TORIC recorded its 500th apprehension. Since its inception, Operation TORIC has laid more than 1,470 charges targeting recidivist offenders involved in motor vehicle thefts, burglaries, robberies, associated dangerous driving and other crimes in the ACT.

Of those charged, 200 were on bail at the time of their arrest while 118 were subject to conditions such as Good Behaviour Orders, Intensive Corrections Orders, or on Parole.

Operation TORIC’s continued focuses on strategies to break the cycle of recidivist behaviour and reoffending has had significant impact in protecting innocent members of the community at risk by those who are engaged in dangerous, criminal behaviour.

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Report

In June this year, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Steering Committee’s report into sexual violence was released which detailed the work that all relevant agencies in the ACT can do to improve the experience for victim-survivors of sexual assault.

The report’s case studies highlighted the need for continual training programs that include the full spectrum of sexual violence and expectations of police by victim-survivors.

ACT Policing continues to review these issues to improve service delivery and support for people who report a sexual assault.

The long-term focus for ACT Policing is to support victim-survivors at the center of the process so their voices are heard in relation to how their matter proceeds.

An Oversight Committee was established in response to Recommendation 15, supported by a working group consisting of the ACT Policing review team, ACT Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Victim Support ACT (VSACT). The working group is chaired by the Office of the Coordinator-General for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence.

A dataset of sexual offences over an 18-month period of the review was agreed by the working group. All sexual assault matters (684) that were reported to ACT Policing between 1 July 2020 and 31 December 2021 and not progressed to charge have been reviewed.

Several matters were identified as potentially requiring further action, with referral to VSACT for victim-survivor re-engagement to be conducted prior to any re-investigation. The number of matters for potential re-investigation is currently at 169.

On 30 April 2024 the Sexual Assault (Police) Review (the Co-Chairs Report) was publicly released.

From this report there are 28 recommendations that will now be considered with the ACT Government and partners, to continue to refine ACT Policing processes and systems to ensure that our response to these serious crimes is victim-survivor centred and meets community expectations.

Before the report was released ACT Policing began improvements, including:

Strengthening ACT Criminal Investigations by adding an additional Detective Inspector with specific oversight of the Sexual Offences Child Abuse (SOCA) area.

Embedding a specialist prosecutor within the ACT Policing Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team (SACAT).

The ACT Policing review team and the Crime Manager for SOCA have been in consultation with ACT Policing Victim’s Rights Policy to address recommendations from the early stages of the Sexual Assault (Police) Review.

The SOCA investigative function was internally reviewed in 2021 and ACT Policing is working through implementing those recommendations. This was conducted prior to the Sexual Assault (Police) Review being released.

Creation of an additional Sergeant role to provide increased specialist support to the SOCA and Criminal Investigations teams with a specific focus on training, reviewing briefs of evidence, stakeholder engagement and coordination.

Introduction of direct reporting for victim support agencies to assist victim-survivors in coming forward to report to police.

Sexual assaults are an inherently challenging crime to investigate and to see through to successful prosecution. ACT Policing is dedicated to continually reviewing the manner in which we investigate crime with a focus on the best outcome for victim-survivors. ACT Policing had already implemented a number of reforms which have resulted in an increase in charging with 625 sexual offence charges laid in the 2022–23 financial year, and 534 laid in the 2023–24 financial year.

The ACT is an evolving and significantly expanding community and as the population grows so too will the demand for our services.

What is evident is that we have a workforce of dedicated and committed members who are doing the very best they can to support the Canberra community, as well as each other, and I commend them for all of the work they do.

I also want to recognise and show my appreciation for our corporate staff whose hard work behind the scenes cannot be overrated.

Looking forward, ACT Policing will continue to look at new ways to address issues our community is facing and I am eager to embrace both the challenges and successes that are ahead.

Deputy Commissioner Scott Lee APMChief Police Officer for the ACT

2. Ministerial Direction

This Ministerial Direction is issued under section 7 of the Policing Arrangement between the Ministers of the Commonwealth and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Governments and outlines the ACT Government’s priorities and expectations for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and more specifically the Chief Police Officer for the ACT (CPO). This Direction is to be read in conjunction with the 2022–2026 Purchase Agreement between the ACT Minister for Police and Emergency Services, the AFP Commissioner and the CPO. This Direction supersedes and revokes the Direction issued on 28 October 2019.

The ACT Government is committed to the community’s wellbeing including ensuring Canberrans are, and feel, safe and secure around their homes, community and on-line. ACT Policing plays a key role in supporting the ACT Government’s commitment to Safety domain in the Wellbeing Framework. My expectation is that ACT Policing delivers all functions under the Policing Arrangement 2017 and 2022–2026 Purchase Agreement and will focus its activities to keep the peace and preserve public safety within the ACT.

In the current environment, the expected focus areas for ACT Policing are:

Transition to the Police Service Model

Continue transitioning to a more prevention and community-focused Police Services Model (PSM) that better supports ACT Government and community priorities. The PSM will be intelligence led, evidence based, agile and mobile, and systemic.

Enhance digital engagement to ensure ACT Policing continues to evolve in line with community expectations.

Reducing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

As part of the ACT Government’s justice reinvestment strategy and the focus on pillar one of the Reducing Recidivism in the ACT by 25% by 2025 (RR25by25) Plan, in recognition of the disadvantages and challenges facing the ACT’s First Nations community and national work to close the gap on this disadvantage, work with the ACT Government to support the community to help reduce overrepresentation in the criminal justice system.

Design and implement an ACT Policing engagement framework in consultation with the ACT’s First Nations community. This includes implementing agreed recommendations from the Ombudsman report on ACT Policing’s administrative framework for engagement with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community that relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Implement effective sexual assault prevention and responses

Focus on the priority of effectively responding to sexual violence against children and adults as a strategic crime type. Work together with the Coordinator-General for Family Safety to implement the ACT Government’s response to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Steering Committee’s recommendations in the Listen, Take Action to Prevent, Believe and Heal report.

Continue to review and improve ACT Policing operations’ response to sexual violence where care of the victim survivor is the core consideration.

Raising the age of minimum criminal responsibility

Support the ACT Government’s priority reform to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the territory. Continue engagement with key ACT Government directorates to identify areas of consideration in supporting the transition to these arrangements.

Combat dangerous driving

Work with key areas of ACT Government to combat dangerous driving in both prevention and post-incident response.

Take action to improve road safety, with emphasis on reducing road trauma experienced by vulnerable road users and combating anti-social and dangerous behaviours including speeding and driving while impaired or distracted.

Countering terrorism and violent extremism

Continue to counter the threat of terrorism and violent extremism by strengthening the safety of the ACT’s public places in line with national strategies and best practice; and developing a fixated threat capability to meet the Government’s obligations under the October 2017 Council of Australian Governments agreement.

In addition to a focus on these specific priority areas, it is my expectation that ACT Policing will continue to provide a professional, effective and efficient policing service to the ACT community. This should be achieved through evidence-based and innovative strategies to meet the outcomes of the 2022–2026 Purchase Agreement to reduce crime, increase public safety and engage with community and partners locally and nationally.

In achieving this, I expect ACT Policing to:

• Remain adaptive to the changing environment

- Continue to work with ACT Government and the community to build understanding of the resource pressures and impacts on community policing in responding to and building  permanent capabilities to address, significant natural disasters, pandemics and resultant social political and protest activity.

• Collaborate effectively with ACT Government, its agencies and stakeholders

- Be transparent and responsive, and actively engage with partner agencies on holistic approaches to complex social issues in support of the ACT Government’s policy agenda.

• Maintain an efficient, effective workforce

- Maintain a diverse and inclusive workforce that is committed to the wellbeing and health of its people so that it can continue to deliver a professional, innovative and effective policing service in a dynamic environment for the ACT community.

I note that Clauses 3 and 6 of the 2022–2026 Purchase Agreement introduce a new requirement for ACT Policing to publish an annual CPO Statement of Intent (SOI). I look forward to receiving the strategies and plans that ACT Policing will put in place to address the ACT Government’s key priorities and this Ministerial Direction, and ACT Policing’s report on progress and outcomes against the SOI in the ACT Policing Annual Report.

Yours sincerely

Mick Gentleman MLA

Minister for Police and Emergency Services

28 September 2022

3. ACT Policing at a glance

• Our Role
• Our Mission
• Our Intent
• Our Values
• Our Governance
• Our Budget
• Our Approach
• Our Performance
• Our Challenges
• Our People
• Our Future
• Our Community

Our Role

Through the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), ACT Policing is responsible for providing quality and effective policing services to the people of the ACT. We do this in partnership with the community and the ACT Government.

Our Mission

Our mission is to keep the peace and preserve public safety within the ACT.

Our Intent

We strive to deliver a professional, innovative and effective policing service in an ever-changing environment for the ACT community.

Our Values

We pride ourselves on being a values-driven organisation. Our core values of integrity, commitment, excellence, accountability, fairness, respect and trust represent our principles and standards — the values we uphold in performing our professional duties.

Our Governance

The key documents which govern the delivery of policing services to the ACT are the Policing Arrangement, the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement and Ministerial Direction.

Policing Arrangement

The AFP is a statutory authority established by the Federal Parliament under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 (the AFP Act). The AFP delivers policing services to the ACT as a separate outcome under a contractual arrangement between the Commonwealth Government and the ACT Government.

2022–26 Purchase Agreement

The Policing Arrangement provides for the negotiation of a 2022–26 Purchase Agreement between the AFP and the ACT Government. The agreement details the outcomes, outputs, performance measures, targets and facilities to be provided, and the powers and obligations of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services and the Chief Police Officer (CPO), as well as associated administrative arrangements.

The main shared ACT Government Outcomes are:

• Prevent Crime – Prevent crime and violence.
• Reduce Recidivism – Reduce repeat offending.
• Prevent Road Deaths and Trauma – Collaborate with partner agencies to improve and promote road safety through education, innovation and targeted enforcement.

The main ACT Policing Operational Outcomes are:

• Divert – Increase support for early intervention and diversion.
• Disrupt – Proactive operations to prevent and disrupt crime.
• Respond – Responsiveness to calls and incidents taking into consideration public and police safety.  
  – Respond to emergencies and disasters.
• Enforce – Increase police proceedings through both court and non-court outcomes.
• Community Confidence           – Increase community confidence in police.

– Enhance and strengthen resilience of communities.

– Increase support for early intervention and diversion.

Alignment with ACT Government Priorities

The Policing Arrangement allows the Minister for Police and Crime Prevention to provide general directions to ACT Policing (in writing) through a Ministerial Direction. The Ministerial Direction gives guidance on specific areas of focus relating to policy, priorities and goals for the provision of police services, without issuing directions on operational matters (see Chapter 2: Ministerial Direction).

Chief Police Officer’s Statement of Intent

ACT Policing publishes an annual CPO’s Statement of Intent (SOI), which sets out strategies and plans that ACT Policing will implement to address the ACT Government’s key priorities and the Ministerial Direction. Achievements against the SOI will be recorded in subsequent Annual Reports.

Further details of the Policing Arrangement, the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement, the Ministerial Direction and the CPO’s SOI are available on ACT Policing’s website at: https://www.police.act.gov.au/about-us/government-directions.

Our Budget

Under the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement the funding provided by the ACT Government to the AFP for delivery of policing services in 2023–24 was $215.537 million.

The total price includes enabling costs and direct funding from the Justice and Community Safety Directorate (JaCS) for crime prevention initiatives (see Chapter 8: Financials).

Our Approach

Our approach is underpinned by a series of strategies and initiatives that support the outcomes set out in the Performance Measure Framework:

Prevent Crime

Continuing support of the ACT Property Crime Prevention Strategy, by promoting innovative and enduring crime prevention strategies and reducing the opportunities for crime to occur or reoccur.

Enhancing our response to and the investigation of offences by forging strong relationships with stakeholders to facilitate whole-of-government and cross-jurisdictional information sharing and collaboration.

Applying technology and forensic science capabilities, and effectively harnessing intelligence from a wide range of sources.

Providing effective and efficient support to the judicial process by maintaining a robust partnership with the ACT DPP and delivering high-standard briefs in a timely manner.

Facilitating a more efficient criminal justice system with an emphasis on timely preventative justice measures and judicial processes.

Reduce Recidivism

ACT Policing Intelligence continues to work with ACT Policing Proactive Intervention and Diversion Team in producing measurement and analytical tools for the purpose of understanding and treating recidivism and reducing impacts on the ACT community.

Prevent Road Deaths and Trauma

improve road safety and reduce anti-social and dangerous driving behaviours. These include joint education campaigns in line with the Road Safety Calendar, focused on improving road culture and driving behaviour. Additional initiatives include Operation TORIC and periodic high-visibility traffic enforcement operations on the ACT’s roads.

ACT Policing will continue to enforce the ACT’s laws and interact with those drivers that choose to do the wrong thing on the ACT’s roads.

Police continue to witness and prosecute dangerous driving incidents that include parts of the ‘fatal 5’ – impaired driving (alcohol and drug), failing to stop at intersections, excessive speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and driving while distracted – as well as driving on the wrong side of the road and failing to stop for police.

Our Performance

ACT Policing’s performance is measured by the Performance Measure Framework, which incorporates two major sets of outcomes and a series of strategies, initiatives and targets, as articulated in the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement.

The overarching budgetary goal of the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement is to work in partnership with the community, to create a safer and more secure ACT through the provision of quality policing services. The Performance Measure Framework aims to enhance accountability for the delivery of services, and provide clear links between ACT Policing’s outcomes, outputs, strategies and individual measures.

ACT Policing’s two sets of Outcomes (Shared ACT Government Outcomes and ACT Policing Operational Outcomes) are supported by 21 Performance Measures.

Performance Measures are described in detail in Chapter 4: Performance Analysis.

Our Challenges

Major challenges and demands presented to ACT Policing during 2023–24 included:

• Officer safety: Officer safety is of the utmost importance. The ACT is continuing to see police officers and the community put at risk by recidivist dangerous drivers, including fail-to-stop offenders.
• Dangerous driving and fatalities: 2023–24 saw eight fatalities on our roads. Dangerous driving is a concern and there were many incidents where offenders repeatedly ignored court conditions and reoffended while on bail.
• Resourcing: Meeting the complexity and high demand of incidents reported to police is an ongoing challenge. However, ACT Policing continues to be flexible and respond to emerging priorities in the ACT.
• Increased demand for priority response: Over the last five years the number of Triple Zero (000) calls to the Police Operations Centre have increased. The centre now receives over 3,000 per month.
• Drugs of dependence legislation: In response to the announcement of new drug decriminalisation legislation in October 2022, ACT Policing has continued its work with ACT Health partners to support harm minimisation and health protection initiatives for the safety and wellbeing of all ACT residents.
• Preparing ACT Policing for the future: To meet the current and long-term needs of a diverse and growing ACT community, in addition to policing in an increasingly demanding and complex environment, ACT Policing is transitioning to a more community-focused model of police service.
• Raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility: ACT Policing is continuing to engage with key ACT Government directorates on the transition to these arrangements and proactive collaboration to ensure decision makers are fully informed about known and yet to be considered outcomes of the policy.
• Crime and recidivism: ACT Policing is targeting recidivism through early intervention and community engagement, in an overall approach to reduce crime in the ACT.
• Domestic and family violence: The Domestic and Family Violence Investigations Unit will continue to develop the secondary response model to provide a tailored and coordinated approach for both victim-survivors and perpetrators of domestic and family violence.
• Sexual assault prevention and response: ACT Policing will maintain its focus on providing and improving a victim-centric police response to sexual violence in our community, and continuing to work closely with victim support groups to deliver a high level of support and care to victim-survivors.
• Serious and organised crime: ACT Policing engages in prevention and disruption of serious and organised crime through targeting, disrupting and apprehending members of criminal gangs and seizing associated wealth derived from criminal activity.
• Reducing the over-representation of First Nations peoples in the justice system: ACT Policing conducts ongoing engagement with the local First Nations community to further develop solid, trusting relationships through open dialogue, enhancing our understanding of the challenges faced by First Nations peoples.

Our People

The CPO is accountable to the ACT Minister for Police and Crime Prevention for the achievements and outcomes set out in the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement and Ministerial Direction.

The CPO is also responsible for the management of personnel and resources used to deliver police services to the ACT community. The CPO is supported by four functional streams: Deputy Chief Police Officer, Operations, Investigations and Corporate.

Information about ACT Policing personnel can be found at Chapter 7: Staffing Profile.

Figure 3.1ACT Policing organisational structure as at 30 June 2024

Figure 3.2 ACT Policing patrol zones as at 30 June 2024

Our Future

At ACT Policing, we are working to evolve in line with new policing challenges and with our increasingly diverse and growing community to create an even safer Canberra.

The ACT Policing Futures capability is continuing to ensure that ACT Policing delivers a sustainable, efficient and effective policing service to meet the current and long-term needs of the ACT community.

Through maintaining a focus on the foundational elements embedded through the ACT Government funded Police Services Model, ACT Policing can target resources where they are most effective, conduct focused crime prevention activities and focus on addressing the root causes of crime.

Areas of focus during 2023–24:

• Technology projects including the expansion of the Online Reporting Portal to include the ability for the community to report Dangerous Driving online, providing more choice and convenience for the community and enhancing ACT Policing’s intelligence picture of driver behaviour; and the automation of the recording of Random Breath Testing statistics providing increased accuracy and an enhanced intelligence capability.
• Embedding the Research and Evaluation Capability, specifically:

- The implementation of a Research and Evaluation framework ensuring fundamental principles are applied via a consistent and coordinated approach to research and evaluation projects with outcomes informing policing practices and methodologies

- Building upon and creating new networks across academia and law enforcement to collaboratively inform contemporary policing challenges.

• Embedding the Continuous Improvement Capability resulting in the successful delivery of strategic aligned projects leading to new and enhanced processes and capabilities with improved data quality, driving internal efficiencies allowing a more effective direction of police resources.

Our Community

ACT Policing is working to address ACT Government key priority policy objectives:

225 referrals to the Early Intervention and Drug Diversion Program

500 arrests under Operation TORIC with a total of 1,470 charges since its inception in August 2022

6,295 referrals to SupportLink Services

• ThinkUKnow Program delivered to 11,319 students
• 11,522 Victim Liaison Officer contacts
• More than 750 members have undertaken First Nations Cultural Literacy Training
• Advancing the First Nations Liaison Officer Community of Practice Project
• Member of the ACT Disability Justice Strategy Reference Group
• Co-delivery of the Living Safe Together Intervention Program
• Establishment of the High Risk Family Violence Investigation Unit

Case Study

New program continues to enhance engagement with First Nations peoples and communities

More than 750 police officers and professional staff from ACT Policing have completed a First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program since its commencement in October 2023.

This two-day program is based on the recognition of the diversity, richness and resilience of First Nations cultures, histories and experiences, as well as the ongoing impacts of colonisation, discrimination and trauma, including the role of police in that story.

It is intended that at the completion of the training members are able to effectively:

• identify their own and others’ cultural filters
• interact effectively with people of different cultural perspectives
• demonstrate an understanding of social constraints in terms of power relationships
• put diversity issues in their historic context, demonstrating how social issues evolve over time.

This mandatory training course was developed after ACT Policing entered into a contractual arrangement, securing the services of the First Nations independently owned and operated company, ETM Perspectives Pty Ltd (ETMP). This company is partnering with the ACT Policing First Nations Working Group to deliver the Ombudsman’s Own Motion Investigation recommendations; this includes leading engagement and consultation activities with First Nations peoples and community representatives.

The First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program exposes the workforce to First Nations stories and perspectives, and highlights the realities of community experiences with police with an emphasis on demonstrating the value of building trusted relationships.

Course participants are encouraged to reflect, analyse and grow their emotional intelligence, in order to apply these new skills to work more effectively with First Nations peoples and communities.

Participants are given space to challenge their own cultural assumptions and biases, and question how these might affect interactions with First Nations communities in both professional and personal settings.

Case Study

Emergency Alert System proves its worth

In late 2023 ACT Policing extended the use of the Emergency Alert system, the national telephone warning system used by emergency services to send text and voice messages about potential emergencies to mobiles and landline phones.

Traditionally this system was only used for terrorism type incidents. ACT Policing collaborated with the ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) to update the overarching governance for the system, allowing its use to extend to a range of emergencies including high-risk missing persons, active shooter incidents or Amber Alerts.

ESA successfully uses the Emergency Alert System for incidents including fire, floods and significant storms.

The advantage of this warning system is that it can deliver messages to a specific geo-spatial area defined by the emergency service organisation issuing the message.

Within weeks of its inception by ACT Policing the system had its first success, being used to locate a missing 77-year-old woman.

The Pearce woman was reported missing by family on the afternoon of 17 October 2023 and a subsequent search of the surrounding area failed to locate her.

A media release and social media post were issued but the woman was still not able to be found.

With concerns for her welfare growing, about 10.15pm that evening a geo-located SMS Emergency Alert was issued, which went to more than 60,000 mobile phones in the Woden area.

The missing woman was located shortly before 11.00pm in bushland in the Mount Taylor Nature Reserve near Chifley.

A member of the public had seen her in the area earlier in the evening and called police after receiving the Emergency Alert SMS. An ACT State Emergency Service search crew (one of three SES teams that were assisting in the search operation) was directed to the area and they located the missing woman.

An Emergency Alert will be sent by the number ‘0444 444 444’ – this is how members of the community can know a message is a genuine Emergency Alert.

Case Study

Operation Dongara: A successful visit by the
Chinese Premier

In mid-June 2024 the ACT Policing Emergency Management and Planning Team successfully coordinated ‘Operation Dongara’ during the visit of Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of The People’s Republic of China to Canberra.

Between Sunday 16 and Monday 17 June Mr Li Qiang, an internationally protected person, visited Canberra as an invited guest of the Australian Government.

He was the first Chinese Premier to visit Australia since 2017 and it was his first visit since his appointment in March 2023. It was expected that the visit would attract significant attention and protesters from pro and anti-Chinese groups throughout Canberra for the duration of the visit.

The large-scale operation was months in the making with many members participating in critical training six weeks prior.

The Guest of Government police response included over 400 Australian Federal Police members from Australian Federal Police National and ACT Policing and Specialist Protection Command including a significant deployment of some of the organisation’s newest members from Learning Command.

This coordinated effort from across the Australian Federal Police resulted in capabilities being stood up across ACT Policing including the Police Operations Centre, ACT Policing Media, Motorcade and Traffic Management, and Public Order Management, as well as significant numbers of members assigned to Venue and Route Security.

Additionally, members from Specialist Protective Command, Security Diplomatic Protection Liaison, Close Personal Protection, Tactical Response, Bomb Response Team, Search and Rescue, Police Negotiation Team, Canine, Air Support Team, Discreet Operations, Maritime and Forensic Logistics also provided vital resources to the operation.

The Commonwealth Government and ACT Government made significant additional contributions with ACT Ambulance, ACT Fire and Rescue, and Transport Canberra assisting, as well as Defence and Attorney-General’s representatives providing support to ACT Policing and the Australian Federal Police for the visit.

The success of Operation Dongara came down to the extensive planning and attention to detail shown by not only members in the Emergency Management and Planning Team but also members from across ACT Policing and the Australian Federal Police who were able to contribute their unique skillsets.

Case Study

Bike donations set to make a wheel impact

ACT Policing and Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation have a long-standing relationship, working closely together to promote and maintain strong relationships with the local First Nations communities.

A key aim of Yerrabi Yurwang is to assist First Nations community members to lead healthier lifestyles through enhanced physical activity. After hearing from Yerrabi Yurwang that they had some children and families affiliated with their organisation who would greatly benefit from a new bike, ACT Policing – with the generous support of Kids in Care – were able to make that wish a reality.

Kids in Care provide ongoing support to children in need within the ACT community. The organisation provided funding for ten bikes with local business 99 Bikes showing their community spirit by offering the bikes at a discounted price.

On 8 May 2024 Deputy Chief Police Officer Doug Boudry attended 99 Bikes in Phillip to present Yerrabi Yurwang with their new sets of wheels.

Children from Yerrabi Yurwang were there on the day, with helmets tightly fastened, ready to jump onto their new bikes and immediately put them to good use.

ACT Policing was thrilled to be able to bring some fun and enjoyment to local youth, and looks forward to continuing these valuable relationships in the future.

Officers from the Community Engagement Team are familiar faces to the Yerrabi Yurwang community, taking part in a range of activities throughout the year including Yuma Day. Yuma (a Ngunnawal word for hello) is a Yerrabi Yurwang initiative, bringing the community together to celebrate as one to share culture, stories, food and music.

ACT Policing has also had the pleasure of celebrating stories and languages with Yerrabi Yurwang and Canberra’s young First Nations community members by taking part in celebrations for Indigenous Literacy week. This event was a particular favourite of ACT Policing’s First Nations Liaison Officers as it allowed them the opportunity to share songs in First Nations languages. The hope is that this and other events will encourage members of the ACT First Nations community to connect to culture and learn and share their language.

4. Performance Analysis

• Performance Measures
• Outcome: Prevent Crime
• Outcome: reduce recidivism
• Outcome: Prevent Road Deaths and Trauma
• Outcome: divert
• Outcome: disrupt
• Outcome: respond
• Outcome: enforce
• Outcome: community confidence
• Other reporting
• 3,893 arrests made
• 50,098 incidents attended
• 1,023 summons issued
• 681 intoxicated persons lodged in protective custody
• 4,030 mental health related incidents attended
• 3,352 domestic and family violence incidents attended
• 448 media releases issued
• 1,216 media enquiry responses provided
• 1,795 Family Violence Orders
• 1,000 Personal Protection Orders
• 1,795 Family Violence Orders
• 1,000 Personal Protection Orders
• 536 hearing briefs delivered to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
• 139 community requests facilitated
• 26 community events attended
• More than1.3 million page views for policenews.act.gov.au
• 6,238 media subscribers
• More than 492,000 unique page views for police.act.gov.au
• 6,296 referrals to community support agencies
• 55 diversionary conferences
• 839 drug seizures
• 225 people diverted into Early Intervention and Drug Diversion Program
• 45,715 followers on our Xchannels (ACT Policingand Traffic)
• 1,760,904 impressions on ourX channels
• 25,799 Instagramfollowers
• 3,042,859 Instagramimpressions
• 153,365 Facebookfollowers
• 35,183,918 impressionson Facebook
• 153 reports of historic sexual assault
• 228 reports of petrol drive offs *this data is from Jan 2023 to 30 June 2024
• 106 reports ofdangerous driving**this data is from 8 May2024 to 30 June 2024
• 1,075 reports for propertydamage andvandalism
• 32,272 students visited
• 17,207unique page views for Constable Kenny website
• 1,490 classroompresentations
• 22 community events attended

2023–24 Snapshot

Community Policing

Media

Orders and Briefs

Community Engagement

ACT Policing Website

Intervention

Social Media

Online Reporting

Constable Kenny Koala Program

Performance Measures

ACT Policing, in partnership with the community, is creating a safer and more secure ACT through the provision of quality police services.

On 25 November 2022 the ACT Minister for Police and Crime Prevention, the AFP Commissioner and the CPO announced the start of the new four-year ACT Policing 2022–26 Purchase Agreement.

The agreement details the policing services purchased by the ACT Government from the AFP. The new agreement remains a high-level principles-based document that seeks to provide guidance on how ACT Policing and the ACT Government work together to provide a community policing capability consistent with the ACT community’s expectations.

Key changes under the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement include:

• priorities in recognition of the overarching policy environment within which ACT Policing operates.
• Enhancing the governance for enabling services through service level agreements in place between ACT Policing and the AFP.
• The introduction of an annual CPO’s SOI, which will set out strategies and plans ACT Policing will implement to address the ACT Government’s key priorities and the Ministerial Direction.
• The Performance Measure Framework (Schedule 1 of the Agreement) now appropriately differentiates Shared ACT Government Outcomes from Key Performance Indicators, with the latter focused on operational outcomes within the control of ACT Policing. This recognises ACT Policing as part of a multi-agency response supporting the ACT Government in navigating complex social issues. Additionally, the new targets are designed to be more consistent and fluid and therefore more contemporaneous, allowing ACT Policing to analyse any potentially underlying issues in data and/or policies.

The 2022–26 Purchase Agreement outlines 21 Performance Measures under 2 sets of outcomes, against which ACT Policing’s performance is measured.

A full summary of all offences reported and cleared by ACT Policing, in addition to the number of proceedings against offenders, can be found in Appendices 3–6.

The 2022–26 Purchase Agreement includes 3 Performance Measures (16, 19 and 20) based on the results of the National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing. The National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing is a telephone survey (landline and mobile telephone numbers) which measures community perceptions on a range of policing related issues. These issues include satisfaction with policing services, feelings of safety, concern about potential victimisation and beliefs about police behaviour. During 2023–24, 1,889 ACT residents participated in the survey, with 19,387 people participating nationally.

The following data in this chapter provides an overview of each Performance Measure against the 2022–23 target, the achieved result and the reason for variation, if any.

Data for the selected Performance Measures and comparison tables was extracted from ACT Policing’s case management system PROMIS on 2 July 2024. It is important to note that ACT Policing’s database is live and crime data is continually revised, therefore crime statistics may differ depending on the date of extraction.

Shared ACT Government Outcomes

Outcome: Prevent Crime

Performance Measure 1 – Number of offences against the person reported or becoming known per 100,000 population

Figure 4.1: Offences against the person reported or becoming known per 100,000 population – 5-year trend

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

There were 859 offences against the person reported or becoming known per 100,000 population in 2023–24.

Table 4.1: Total offences against the person by offence type – financial year comparison

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

*Other offences against the person include kidnapping and abduction, threatening behaviour and other dangerous and negligent acts.

Fig 4.2: Total offences against the person reported or becoming known 2014–15 to 2023–24

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

There was a total of 3,991 offences against the person reported to ACT Policing in 2023–24. This was a decrease of 11.5 per cent (or 520 offences) compared to 2022–23.

Overall assault offences in 2023–24 decreased by 7.0 per cent compared to 2022–23.

Of those assault offences reported to ACT Policing, 43.5 per cent were family violence related, as shown in figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3: Proportion of family violence related assaults 2014–15 to 2023–24

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

Case study

Murder at the Australian National Zoo and Aquarium

On 19 December 2023 ACT Policing homicide detectives charged a 29-year-old man with one count of murder during a bedside hearing following an incident at the National Zoo & Aquarium the previous day.

ACT Policing General Duties, Homicide Squad, Major Crime Squad, Australian Federal Police Forensic as well as Search and Rescue and Tactical Response all played a critical role in the response to this tragic incident.

Around 12.50pm on 18 December 2023 ACT Policing and emergency services responded to reports of a disturbance after witnesses heard screaming at the National Zoo & Aquarium. Police attended the location and located a 29-year-old woman deceased in a storeroom in a kitchen area. She had suffered stab wounds.

The man charged with murder was a co-worker of the woman. The man was taken into custody and was transported to hospital under police guard with allegedly self-inflicted injuries. The knife suspected of being used in the stabbing was also seized at the scene, as was blood-soaked clothing.

The man has been committed to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court.

Performance Measure 2 – Number of offences against property reported or becoming known per 100,000 population

Figure 4.4: Offences against property reported or becoming known per 100,000 population – 5-year trend

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

There were 3,148.3 property offences reported or becoming known per 100,000 population in 2023–24. Figure 4.4 shows a long-term downward trend for reported property offences per 100,000 population.

Figure 4.5: Total offences reported against property 2014–15 to 2023–24

Source: PROMIS as at 2 July 2024

There was a total of 14,627 offences against property reported to ACT Policing in 2023–24. This was a decrease of 7.2 per cent (or 1,139 offences) compared to 2022–23.

Table 4.2: Offences against property by offence type – financial year comparison

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

*Other offences against property include fraud and misappropriation, handling of stolen goods, environmental offences, blackmail and extortion, and other property offences not elsewhere classified.

Figure 4.6: Total motor vehicle theft offences reported 2014–15 to 2023–24

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

Case study

Virtual kidnapping under the spotlight

In August 2023, an international student residing in the ACT was targeted by scammers, resulting in the victim losing around $490,000.

The woman had fallen victim to ‘Virtual Kidnapping’ - a complex scam, often targeting international students, where scammers contact the victim by phone and typically impersonate a person of authority from their home country.

Scammers usually tell the victim they are linked to a crime and use information about the victim, either from social media or other sources, and fake documents to legitimise the scam. As the scam escalates, scammers will tell the victim to leave their home, university, friends and life.

The end goal of the scam is to obtain funds from the victim, which usually involves having the victim stage their own (fake) kidnapping and demanding money from their family.

In March 2024 ACT Policing sought to identify a man believed to be able to provide assistance in relation to the case. Less than two months later the man was extradited from Queensland to face the ACT Magistrates Court after being arrested on 6 May by Queensland Police after officers from our Major Crime Team sought interstate assistance.

The scam began when the victim was contacted by someone claiming to be her phone service provider. She was allegedly told there had been suspected scam activity from her number. She was then ‘transferred’ to speak to a person who claimed to be from the Shanghai Police. The man claimed to be investigating her for money laundering.

The victim was pressured to not tell anyone about their communication and was eventually convinced to check into a hotel room where the man attended and placed her under ‘arrest’.

He demanded ‘bail’ payments from the victim which she paid on the day and made further payments over the next few weeks.

The victim was further convinced to hand over her phone and social media accounts and book another hotel.

The victim’s family overseas were then contacted and were told the victim had been kidnapped and a ransom was demanded.

The victim’s family and friends reported her missing to police and she was later located at a Belconnen hotel.

The man appeared in court and faced charges of forcible confinement, representing himself as a police officer, kidnapping and obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

The man is scheduled to appear in court in September 2024.

Case study

Detainees charged with domestic and family violence offences whilst on remand

ACT Policing is committed to hold perpetrators of domestic and family violence accountable for their conduct and work tirelessly with our partner agencies to ensure that domestic and family violence victims are protected. A series of cases in the second half of 2023 demonstrates that this protection extends to actions of offenders whilst remanded.

In July 2023, a 30-year-old Chifley man faced the ACT Magistrates Court charged over domestic and family violence offences committed while on remand.

The previous month the man was remanded in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) and was subsequently listed as the respondent of a Family Violence Order (FVO).

A condition of this order stated the man was prohibited from “causing someone else to contact the protected person(s)”.

Just over one week after being remanded the man called a family member using the AMC’s telephone service. Police allege that during this call the man instructed the family member to contact the protected person.

Police further allege the man made three similar calls, instructing the family member to contact the protected person. The FVO was discharged and the man was subsequently released from AMC.

However, following a review of AMC phone records, the man was arrested and charged with contravening an FVO and breaching a Good Behaviour Order.

In November 2023 there were four additional instances which required police to lay charges in a domestic and family violence matter where the alleged offender has been on remand at the time of the offending.

During the month, four detainees at the AMC were charged with a combined total of 14 contraventions of served and enforceable, nationally recognised FVOs.

Police allege the detainees contacted protected persons from within the AMC in contravention of their FVOs by providing false information to ACT Corrective Services, using other detainees’ telephone accounts, or passing messages through third parties.

ACT Policing’s Domestic and Family Violence Unit also charged an associate of one of the detainees, who is not a detainee at the AMC, with aiding and abetting the contravention of an FVO.

Contravening, and aiding and abetting the contravention of an FVO are both serious offences carrying a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment.

ACT Policing is committed to reducing all forms of domestic and family violence in the community and will continue to work with partner agencies, including the AMC to investigate this type of offending to prioritise victim safety and ensure offenders are held accountable.

Operation HEINKEL: Cash seized as organised retail crime targeted

In January 2022 ACT Policing commenced an investigation focusing on the large-scale theft of baby formula from supermarkets across the ACT. It is estimated these supermarkets suffered a combined loss of up to $13,000. Initial enquiries indicated those involved were likely participants of an organised retail crime group seeking to target the ACT.

On 20 and 21 September 2023 members of the Territory Targeting Team conducted search warrants at residences in Taylor, Lyneham, Throsby and Bruce. These search warrants were supported by members from the ACT Policing Criminal Investigations Fraud Team, ACT Policing Intelligence, AFP Canine and AFP Forensic Services.

These search warrants resulted in the combined seizure of approximately $165,000 in cash, high-end retail products as well as the identification of receipts for the purchase of a further estimated $300,000 in high-end retail products.

The Taylor search warrant resulted in the arrest of two persons, a 46-year-old male and a 42-year-old female. Both were subject to good behaviour bonds at the time of offending. Both were charged with a combined 16 counts of joint commission theft offences and a single count of joint commission money laundering. Both faced the ACT Magistrates Court on 22 September 2023.

A third offender, a 31-year-old male, was arrested as a result of the search warrant in Lyneham. The search warrant also identified a storage location off site containing further quantities of baby formula, identified as being obtained from third parties who had allegedly stolen them on behalf of the crime syndicate.

The male appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court in July 2024, charged with participating in a criminal group, joint commission money laundering and receiving stolen property. The first two of these charges were later dropped.

OUTCOME: Reduce Recidivism

Performance Measure 3 – Proportion of offenders proceeded against by police more than once within the previous 12 months

Figure 4.7: Proportion of offenders proceeded against by police more than once in 2023–24

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

The proportion of offenders proceeded against by police more than once in 2023–24was 20.6 per cent. This continues the downward trend since 2019–20 and is the lowest proportion of offenders proceeded against more than once in the last 5 years.

OUTCOME: Prevent Road Deaths and Trauma

Performance Measure 4 – Number of road crashes resulting in death per 100,000

Figure 4.8: Road fatalities per 100,000 population

Source: PROMIS, 4 July 2024 and Australian Road Deaths Database, 30 June 2024

The number of road crashes resulting in death per 100,000 in 2023–24 was 1.7.

Performance Measure 5 – Number of road crashes resulting in injury per 100,000

Figure 4.9: Road crashes resulting in injury per 100,000 population

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

The number of road crashes resulting in injury per 100,000 in 2023–24 was 72.1.

Figure 4.10: Total road crashes resulting in injury

Source: PROMIS, 2 July 2024

The total number of road crashes resulting in injury in 2023–24 was 335.

ACT policing operational outcomes

OUTCOME: Divert

Performance Measure 6 – Percentage of eligible young people referred to Restorative Justice

Performance Measure 6.1 Young First Nations people

Of the 12 young First Nations people eligible for Restorative Justice in 2023–24, 5 were not referred therefore ACT Policing did not meet the 100 per cent referral target for 2023–24.

Performance Measure 6.2 Young Non-First Nations people

Of the 52 young non-First Nations people eligible for Restorative Justice in 2023–24, 5 were not referred therefore ACT Policing did not meet the 100 per cent referral target for 2023–24.

Performance Measure 7 – Percentage of offenders proceeded against by non-court actions (diversions and cautions)

Performance Measure 7.1 First Nations people

The percentage of First Nations offenders proceeded against by non-court actions (diversionary conferences, alcohol and drug diversions and cautions) in 2023–24 was 5.4 per cent. This was 1.1 per cent below the target of 6.5 per cent (average over the past 5 years).

Performance Measure 7.2 Non-First Nations people

The percentage of non-First Nations offenders proceeded against by non-court actions (diversionary conferences, alcohol and drug diversions and cautions) in 2023–24 was 15.0 per cent. The result was 2.6 per cent above the target of 12.4 per cent (average over the past 5 years).

Performance Measure 8 – Number of persons referred to community support agencies (SupportLink)

There were 6,296 referrals to SupportLink in 2023–24, which was 6.9 per cent above the 5-year average of 5,888.

SupportLink provides a national referral and diversion gateway for police and other emergency services to participate in early intervention. The role of SupportLink is to reduce crime, suicide, violence, substance abuse, family breakdown and juvenile offending, and to improve support for victims of crime.

The annual target for this measure is based on the average number of persons referred to community support agencies over the previous 5 years. For the periods covering the COVID-19 pandemic the numbers of referrals declined but have increased since then.

OUTCOME: Disrupt

Performance Measure 9 – Number of disruption activities (drug related, general person offences, general property offences or organised motorcycle gang related)

Figure 4.11: Number of disruption activities

Source: PROMIS as at 2 July 2024

The number of disruption activities for 2023–24 was 683. Overall, a downward trend in disruption activity since 2018–19 has been observed.

Performance Measure 10 – Disruption Case Study

Operation ATHOS: Joint investigation with Victoria Police results in seizures of unprecedented quantities of controlled drugs

In 2023 the combined efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies led to the dismantling of the largest illegal controlled and prescription drug distribution network ever identified in the ACT and Victoria.

In August 2023 a joint investigation with Victoria Police began to identify and disrupt a criminal group allegedly distributing significant quantities of controlled and prescription drugs across Australia. The drugs included Xanax, Valium, anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, clenbuterol, THC gummies and psilocybin chocolates.

Police alleged that three men were sourcing significant commercial quantities of these drugs and then operating a sophisticated marketing, sale and distribution network for individual buyers. The buyers were located across Australia and the group – operating online under the ‘OzPharmLabs’ name – allegedly distributed their products via the postal system.

On Friday 8 December 2023 simultaneous search warrants were executed in the ACT region and in Melbourne.

A 38-year-old man was arrested at a residence in O’Connor and a 27-year-old man was arrested at a home in Gordon. Both faced more than 20 charges including traffic in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, supplying anabolic steroids and traffic in a controlled drug other than cannabis. The 38-year-old was also charged with weapon possession and contravening a 3LA order.

A 39-year-old Googong man was arrested by NSW Police and was extradited to the ACT to face 40 charges including participating in a criminal group, trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, dealing in the proceeds of crime to a value greater than $1,000,000, obtaining financial advantage by deception, dealing in identification information for the purpose of committing an indictable Commonwealth offence, supplying anabolic steroids, trafficking in a controlled drug other than cannabis, contravening a section 3LA order and supplying declared substances

As part of the warrant activity police seized unprecedented quantities of controlled drugs as well as approximately $200,000 in cash, a house, five vehicles, three motorcycles and designer goods. Multiple bank accounts were also restrained.

It is believed the group is responsible for a significant portion of the illegal prescription drug market in Australia. Further investigations identified the alleged involvement of another man, a 31-year-old from Greenleigh NSW.

On 18 April 2024 ACT Policing executed a crime scene warrant jointly with NSW Police Force at the Greenleigh residence, where the 31-year-old man was arrested. Meanwhile,  ACT Policing members also conducted further warrant activity at a linked residence in Conder, ACT.

The 31-year-old man was conveyed to Queanbeyan Police Station where he was charged by NSW Police Force Regional Enforcement Squad with drug offences and faced the Queanbeyan Magistrates Court the following day.

As a result of the Greenleigh warrant police located and seized:

• approximately 450 grams of cocaine
• approximately 160 grams of methamphetamine
• approximately 145 grams of MDMA
• approximately 200ml suspected to be GHB
• approximately 20 vials of steroids
• a small amount of Xanax
• a large quantity of commercial fireworks
• approximately $8,150 in cash
• mobile phones and laptop computers.

Operation VITREUS: cash, drugs and weapons seized during week of action

During seven days in mid-September 2023, approximately $120,000 worth of illicit drugs were seized, as well as weapons and cash, reinforcing ACT Policing’s commitment to target organised crime and criminal gangs.

The activity was part of Operation VITREUS, a national week of action by all state and territory police forces overtly targeting the sale and distribution of illicit drugs in highly visible activities across Australia.

Nationally almost 1,000 people were arrested and drugs worth an estimated $475 million seized during this operation.

From 11 to 15 September ACT Policing executed 13 search warrants, utilising teams from General Duties, Criminal Investigations, Proactive Intervention and Diversion Team, Territory Targeting Team, National Canine, Forensics, Surveillance, Specialist Operations and Intelligence.

As a result of these activities approximately $120,000 worth of illicit drugs were seized, including methylamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and GBL. Police also seized prohibited firearms, prohibited weapons, cash, large quantities of steroids, stolen property, a ballistics vest and two pill presses.

Police made two arrests, with a 28-year-old man and a 35-year-old man – who are both suspected of being involved with the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang – arrested on 11 September at a residence in Gungahlin.

Intelligence was also gathered in relation to multiple drug trafficking networks, progressing several ongoing investigations.

ACT Policing will continue to collaborate with local and national law enforcement partners to target the manufacture, trafficking and supply of illicit drugs, and target those who seek to profit from inflicting these dangerous substances on the community, such as organised crime groups and criminal gangs.

ACT Policing and Australian Border Force seize more than 100kg of methamphetamine in the ACT’s largest meth bust

A joint operation between ACT Policing and the Australian Border Force saw a massive 106kg of methamphetamine discovered in late 2023 in a shipment of car radiators.

The sheer amount seized had the potential to be more than 1 million individual ‘hits’ of methamphetamine.

The drugs were detected by Australian Border Force officers in November 2023 after the shipment arrived in NSW from the USA.

Following a deconstruction of the consignment – described as 56 radiators addressed to a business premises in Fyshwick – officers allegedly located 106kg of methamphetamine. The items were seized and ACT Policing’s Drug and Organised Crime Team took over the investigation.

In January 2024 officers executed four search warrants in Sydney, with assistance from Australian Federal Police Eastern Command and the NSW Police Force’s Drug and Firearms Squad.

This successful bust serves as an example of ACT Policing and its partners’ commitment to keeping illicit drugs off Australian streets.

The investigation into this significant importation is ongoing.

Performance Measure 11 – Number of targeted traffic operations (in line with the 2023–24 Road Safety Calendar)

There were 18 targeted traffic operations by ACT Road Policing in 2023–24. This takes into account one operation per month in line with the Road Safety Calendar and additional operations including, but not limited to, major events like Summernats and seasonal awareness campaigns including Kings Highway Summer Safe and Monaro Highway Snow Safe campaigns.

OUTCOME: Respond

Performance Measure 12 – Average length of time to respond to Priority One incidents

The average length of time to respond to Priority One incidents was 7.5 minutes in 2023–24. This was 8.7 per cent below the maximum target of 8.2 minutes, which was the average response time for Priority One incidents over the past five years.

Performance Measure 13 – Average length of time to respond to Priority Two incidents

The average length of time to respond to Priority Two incidents was 18.0 minutes in 2023–24. This was 3.3 per cent over the target of 17.4 minutes, which was the average response time for Priority Two incidents over the past five years.

The high volume of Priority Two incidents reported to ACT Policing has presented challenges for ACT Policing in meeting Performance Measures relating to response times since 2015–16. The increase in Priority Two matters in the last five years has been a key driver of the result for this KPI. While the number of Priority Two incidents decreased by 3.7 per cent in the last 12 months, there was an increase of 8.0 per cent in the last five years and 26.5 per cent over the last ten years.

Performance Measure 14 – Percentage of Priority Three incidents responded to within 48 hours

Figure 4.12: Percentage of Priority Three incidents responded to within 48 hours

Source: PROMIS as at 2 July 2024

In 2023–24, 95.2 per cent of Priority Three incidents were responded to within 48 hours. This was an improvement of 0.6 per cent compared to 2022–23.

Performance Measure 15 – Percentage of Triple Zero (000) calls answered on first presentation

Performance Measure 15.1 – Percentage of Triple Zero (000) calls answered on first presentation

The percentage of Triple Zero (000) calls answered on first presentation was 92.9 per cent in 2023–24. This result was 3.4 per cent above the target of 89.4 per cent, which was the average percentage of calls answered on first presentation over the past five years.

ACT Policing applies the highest priority to answering Triple Zero (000) calls and aims to answer them within 10 seconds. Non-emergency calls to Triple Zero (000) reduce ACT Policing’s capacity to respond to genuine emergency incidents in a timely manner. ACT Policing Media continually remind the ACT community not to call Triple Zero (000) unless it is an emergency. Nuisance or hoax phone calls, even though they are low in volume, do exist and pose capacity issues. ACT Policing has also observed an escalation of calls to 131 444 which has, in turn, led to higher call wait times leading to some callers contacting Triple Zero (000) instead.

Performance Measure 15.2 – Percentage of Triple Zero (000) calls answered on second presentation

The percentage of Triple Zero (000) calls answered on second presentation was 98.2 per cent in 2023–24. This result was 2.0 per cent above the target of 96.2 per cent, which was the average percentage of calls answered on second presentation over the past five years.

Performance Measure 16 – Percentage of the community satisfied in general with the job police are doing in responding to emergencies and disasters

The percentage of the community satisfied in general with the job police are doing in responding to emergencies and disasters was 69.6 per cent in 2023–24, which was 0.9 per cent above the target. The target for this measure is the national average or less, as determined by the National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing.

OUTCOME: Enforce

Performance Measure 17 – Proportion of offenders proceeded against for person offences

The proportion of offenders proceeded against for person offences was 29.8 per cent in 2023–24. This was 1.9 per cent over the target of 27.8 per cent, which was the average over the past five years.

Figure 4.13: Proportion of offenders proceeded against for person offences

Source: PROMIS as at 2 July 2024

Performance Measure 18 – Proportion of offenders proceeded against for property offences

The proportion of offenders proceeded against for property offences was 6.6 per cent. This was 1.3 per cent less than the target of 7.9 per cent, which was the average over the past five years.

Figure 4.14: Proportion of offenders proceeded against for property offences

Source: PROMIS as at 2 July 2024

Offenders proceeded against for property offences measures the number of offences where there was an outcome during the reporting period. These outcomes include but are not limited to the apprehension of an offender through an arrest or some other form of proceeding such as a summons or a formal caution, withdrawal of the complaint or the determination that the offence was unsubstantiated. It is important to note that proceedings for an offence may not necessarily occur in the same period in which it was reported.

ACT Policing continues to work with the ACT Government to develop and implement strategies to improve the criminal justice system. This includes the establishment of the Community Policing Proactive Intervention and Disruption Team to focus on reducing recidivism and calls for service.

OUTCOME: Community Confidence

Performance Measure 19 – Percentage of the community satisfied in general with services provided by police

The target for this measure is the national average or more as determined by the National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing.

The percentage of the community satisfied in general with services provided by police in 2023–24 was 65.6 per cent, which was 7.3 per cent above the target.

Performance Measure 20 – Percentage of the community who have confidence in police

The target for this measure is the national average or more as determined by the National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing.

The percentage of the community who have confidence in police in 2023–24 was 74.1 per cent, which was 9.4 per cent above the target.

Performance Measure 21 – Number of complaints against police

The number of complaints against police in 2023–24 was 93.

Other reporting

Work undertaken to address key requirements under the new Multiculturalism Act 2023.

ACT Policing continues to promote and support multiculturalism in the ACT. The 2023–24 financial year saw a range of activities undertaken in this area and extensive engagement from ACT Policing Multicultural Liaison Officers and Community Engagement Team (CET) members including:

• ACT Policing Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO) attendance at Canberra Multicultural Community Forum (CMCF) Symposium on Racism in Australia from CALD Perspectives – this engagement has led to ongoing involvement with CMCF Anti-racism Action Group.
• Regular engagements with different multicultural community groups to provide direct contact and familiarity with police and support organisations, such as the ACT Human Rights Commission.
• The provision of scam awareness and safety presentations including the promotion of ACT Neighbourhood Watch to multicultural community groups, including requesting supporting resources (such as ‘Little Black Book of Scams’) in languages other than English.
• The organisation of meetings with vulnerable multicultural community members (via referral or enquiry) to discuss incidents/issues of concern/police processes in neutral environments, utilising interpreters when appropriate.
• Engaging in conversations with AFP leadership regarding recruitment practices, and promoting ACT Policing recruitment among communities to encourage CALD/Culturally and Racially Marginalised (CARM) community members to consider careers in policing.
• Proactively seeking out educational opportunities for MLO and CET members to increase their knowledge of different cultures, to improve their overall cultural literacy.
• Attendance at the National Multicultural Festival, celebrating the multiculturalism of the ACT community.

Translator and interpreter services

The AFP is obligated under the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement to report ACT Policing’s use of translators and interpreters in its Annual Report. In the 2023–24 financial year there were 116 instances where interpreter and translator services were used.

Outcomes achieved aligning with the Ministerial Direction and Statement of Intent

Police Services Model

One of the strategies for ACT Policing to adapt its operating model and investigative processes to engage and support the community while responding to the complexities of modern-day crimes is by transitioning to the Police Services Model (PSM).

With ACT Government’s ongoing support, ACT Policing is directing resources where they are most effective, conducting focused crime prevention activities and working across the broader justice system with partners to ensure it is addressing the root causes of crime and repeat offending.

The ACT Government unveiled an unprecedented commitment to enhance community safety by investing over $107 million in the recruitment of an additional 126 ACT Policing personnel over the next five years. This represents the largest investment ever made in ACT Policing.

The substantial financial commitment will enable the commencement of one additional annual recruit course for the next five years, further fortifying the ranks of ACT Policing.

The new officers will be deployed across a range of priority areas consistent with the PSM pillars, the Chief Police Officer’s Statement of Intent and the Ministerial Direction.

Alongside this recruitment drive, the funding is being used to expand crucial supporting resources, including the provision of vehicles, body-worn cameras and operational equipment. These enhancements will significantly bolster the capabilities of our dedicated officers in their efforts to ensure the safety and security of the community.

Proactive Intervention and Diversion Teams

The initial development and subsequent expansion of the Proactive Intervention and Diversion policing capability saw two Proactive Intervention and Diversion Teams (PIDTs) established.

The Operation TORIC model has matured and is now aligned into PIDT, as the goals are complementary. Operation TORIC is immediate and problem solving while PIDT is the longer-term recidivist intervention and strategy. This alignment will allow ACT Policing to meet the expectations of the Canberra community.

As at 30 June 2024, ACT Policing had made 500 apprehensions since Operation TORIC’s inception, leading to 1,470 charges. Of those charged, 200 were on bail at the time of their arrest while 118 were subject to conditions such as Good Behaviour Orders, Intensive Corrections Orders, or on Parole.

In 2023 the PIDT focused on offender management after release from prison. The establishment of a multi-agency community of practice will consider facilitators and influencers of crime and offending.

During 2023–24 ACT Policing’s PIDT focused on offender management. A Recidivist Offender Multi-Agency Round Table (ROMART) comprising representatives from relevant ACT Government agencies and organisations was established in August 2023. The primary purpose of ROMART was to reduce recidivist offending in the ACT of both adults and young people. ROMART is a case management body that meets weekly to identify intervention opportunities and manage high-risk-high-harm offenders.

This forum considers an individual’s facilitators and influencers of crime and offending. This will assist in delivering projects and evidence-based strategies to support and take the pressure off the front line by focusing on underlying causation particularly around recidivism.

Operation TORIC and PIDT create a visible and proactive presence in the community and focus operational actions to reduce crime that places the community at risk, including the targeting of recidivist offending. In doing so, repeat calls for service are reduced by intervening, disrupting and preventing crime through focusing on problematic people, places and issues.

Reducing the over-representation of First Nations peoples

ACT Policing acknowledges the significant challenge of over-representation for First Nations peoples in the criminal justice system. ACT Policing works in partnership with the ACT Government, First Nations peoples, non-government organisations and the community to develop and deliver programs which better support people who come to the attention of police. ACT Policing provides culturally appropriate support during engagement with police and the justice process through dedicated First Nations Liaison Officers.

The ACT Policing First Nations Liaison Officers and the First Nations Senior Liaison Officer are involved through the Galambany and Warrambul Circle Sentencing when and as requested. In line with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Agreement 2019–28, ACT Policing will continue to focus on equitable access and culturally safe restorative justice, including prevention and diversion programs for First Nations peoples and communities.

The ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body and the broader First Nations community have informed the development and delivery of ACT Policing’s First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program that is tailored and relevant to the region for its members. This program fulfils a recommendation of the ACT Ombudsman’s Own Motion Investigation (OMI) concerning ACT Policing’s administrative framework for engagement with First Nations communities.

ETMP is a 100 per cent First Nations owned company and was contracted by ACT Policing through a tender process to assist in the implementation of the OMI recommendations, including the First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program and the development of the ACT Policing Strategy for Engagement with First Nations peoples and communities.

Both of these initiatives were substantially informed by:

• the community including First Nations key representative groups and identities, non-government organisations and service providers from the ACT and Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community
• representatives from ACT Government Directorates and the justice sector
• the ACT Policing workforce.

The First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program is a two-day face-to-face program that is chaperoned by ACT Policing First Nations Liaison Officers to provide broader workforce exposure and familiarity to both the First Nations Liaison Officer personnel and the capability. The program was piloted with the ACT Policing Executive and the ACT Policing First Nations Working Group in October 2023. The program was delivered in three rounds and is mandatory for both the sworn workforce and for professional staff filling public-facing roles. The first round of the program was delivered between November and December 2023 to more than 200 members. Round 2 was delivered in April 2024 and the final round delivered in July 2024 with more than 750 members participating in the program.

The curriculum of the First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program includes:

• History of First Nations peoples – culture (lore), kin and country – at a national and local level (ACT and Wreck Bay).
• The cause and effect of displacement, disadvantage and intergenerational trauma including the historical role of police in the same.
• Identifying and understanding the effect of personal and systemic bias (unconscious or otherwise) through to racism.
• Cultural safety and trauma informed practices for engagement with First Nations peoples.
• First Nations related targets to address disadvantage and over-representation in the criminal justice system, including the role of and opportunities for police to mitigate these outcomes through diversionary considerations seeking bespoke First Nations community support programs and service providers.

The ACT Policing Strategy for Engagement with First Nations peoples and communities has been completed, and ACT Policing is now considering next steps for its socialisation with both the workforce and the community ahead of implementation by late 2024. Through the strategy ACT Policing recognises that mutual respect, trust and partnership between police and First Nations peoples and communities is at the core of achieving the goals and outcomes of the strategy. In that regard ACT Policing acknowledges that while the strategy lays out its intentions it needs to take the first steps in this journey. ACT Policing is committed to its actions speaking louder than words by more effectively supporting the needs of and promoting better outcomes for First Nations peoples and communities.

ACT Policing acknowledges there is more to do to improve outcomes for First Nations communities and has committed to ongoing engagement to enhance its understanding of and responses to the challenges faced by First Nations peoples. The reinvigoration of the Chief Police Officer’s First Nations Advisory Board and seeking to work more closely with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body are examples of this outlook. Engagement with these bodies has not only informed the First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program and the ACT Policing Strategy for Engagement with First Nations Peoples and Communities, but also influenced the refinement of existing ACT Policing guidelines and practices to better accommodate and support the needs of First Nations peoples and communities.

ACT Policing is extremely grateful to First Nations peoples who shared and entrusted us with their stories, experiences and insights and for allowing us to draw upon their wisdom in order to establish the First Nations Cultural Literacy Training Program and the ACT Policing Strategy for Engagement with First Nations Peoples and Communities.

Implementing effective sexual assault prevention and responses

It is a priority for ACT Policing to implement effective sexual assault prevention and responses. ACT Policing has specialist investigators in the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team (SACAT) who investigate matters and guide victim-survivors through each step of the process. SACAT’s primary focus is providing a victim-centric, trauma-informed police response to sexual violence in our community.

ACT Policing works closely with victim support groups such as the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, the ACT Intermediary Program within the ACT Human Rights Commission and Victim Support ACT to deliver a high level of support and care to victim-survivors.

In 2022 the Crimes (Consent) Amendment Act 2022 (ACT) was amended to shift the principle that consent is not presumed and there must be an ongoing and mutual conversation between participants. The Act also outlines that people have a right to choose not to participate in sexual activities. The communicative model of consent is underpinned by principles of agency, autonomy and responsibility, and is based on a culture of health and respectful relationships.

In December 2023 ACT Policing launched a new campaign with support of the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre and the dating application Tinder (Match Group) to promote positive consent when engaging in intimate acts.

ACT-based users of Tinder began to receive in-platform advertising which reminded them of ACT’s positive consent laws. The campaign generated excellent results in males responding to the advertisement and consequently being made aware of the positive consent laws.

ACT Policing acknowledges the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Steering Committee’s Report into sexual violence and the work that all relevant agencies in the ACT can do to improve the experience for victim-survivors of sexual assault.

ACT Policing continues to review these issues and seeks ways to improve service delivery and support for people who report sexual assault offences. The long-term focus for ACT Policing is to put decision making into the hands of the victim-survivor at the centre of the process so their voice is heard in relation to how their matter proceeds.

An Oversight Committee has been established in response to Recommendation 15, supported by a working group consisting of the ACT Policing review team, ACT DPP and Victim Support ACT. The working group is chaired by the Office of the Coordinator-General for Family Safety.

Operation Foster was established in February 2023 to reinvestigate matters recommended from the working group. This team conducts investigations with victim-survivors who have agreed to re-engage with police.

An independent researcher from Swinburne University has been engaged to further inform this important work.

ACT Policing has reformed its decision-making model to include additional oversight of a Criminal Investigations Management Committee in certain circumstances when investigations are being considered for finalisation. This committee also considers legal advice where appropriate.

ACT Policing is trialing a statistical reporting tool to assist in providing more detailed data in relation to sexual offence investigations conducted in the ACT.

ACT Policing is reviewing training across all levels to upskill the workforce, mitigate identified issues and improve the outcomes for victim-survivors. Training will target police officers working in General Duties in conjunction with specialist members in Sexual Offences and Child Abuse and within ACT Criminal Investigations more broadly.

In February 2024 an ACT DPP prosecutor commenced working with SACAT in the SACAT office to provide dedicated advice and prosecutorial recommendations for sexual assault matters.

Raising the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR)

The Legislative Assembly passed a Bill on 1 November 2023, titled Justice (Age of Criminal Responsibility) Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 to raise the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR) in a staged approach, with the following steps:

The MACR was initially raised to 12 years old on 22 November 2023

The MACR will be further raised to 14 years old on 1 July 2025.

ACT Policing is engaged with the ACT Government on considerations for the MACR and continues to provide input into elements of the reforms that are yet to be fully established. ACT Policing advocates for the timely delivery of and multidisciplinary involvement in the Therapeutic Support Panel and the Safety Youth Response Service Pilot, including interim arrangements.

The ACT Government established a Therapeutic Support Panel, which evaluates the therapeutic needs of the child offender and advises on appropriate treatment and support. The panel includes a representative from ACT Policing. To support the MACR reforms, the ACT Government established the following referral pathways for children under the MACR:

Therapeutic Support Panel – evaluates the therapeutic needs of the child or young person and advises on appropriate treatment and support. The panel includes a representative from ACT Policing.

Safer Youth Response Service Pilot – provides children and young people who are engaging in harmful behaviour with crisis/expedient access to youth workers, emergency accommodation and follow-up case management.

ACT Policing remains firm on its commitment to continue to respond to any calls for assistance where there is a risk of harm to any member of the community, regardless of changes to the MACR. Police will always act to preserve life and property in protection of the community and will seek to engage support services and diversionary programs relevant to the person’s age.

ACT Policing continues to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of the Act and will adjust its response as outstanding elements of the reforms are implemented.

ACT Policing continues to receive high volumes of complaints about youth crime in Canberra and the impact this is having on victims and the broader community.

The MACR reforms’ implementation has been complicated by the staggered roll-out of support services, meaning that police are still often engaged in the management and support of persons under the MACR.

ACT Policing will continue to work with ACT Government stakeholders on issues raised in implementing the MACR reforms, including ensuring the MACR referral pathways are providing appropriate and timely support.

Combat dangerous driving

ACT Policing is committed to initiatives that support and increase the safety of all road users on ACT roads. These include joint education campaigns in line with the Road Safety Calendar, focused on improving road culture and driving behaviour. Additional initiatives include Operation TORIC and periodic high-visibility traffic enforcement operations on Canberra’s roads.

In November 2023 ACT Policing participated in the ACT Government’s Round Table focused on combatting dangerous driving. Addressing the Attorney-General, Minister for Transport and other road safety stakeholders, ACT Policing presented its perspective on the topic of dangerous driving.

Police continue to witness and prosecute dangerous driving incidents that include components of the ‘fatal 5’ – impaired driving (alcohol and drug), failing to stop at intersections, excessive speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and driving while distracted – in addition to deliberately driving on the wrong side of the road and failing to stop for police.

As at 30 June 2024 more than 572 Immediate Suspensions Notices (ISN) have been issued since the Road Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2023 came into effect on 22 June 2023. It should be noted that this figure includes ISNs issued for all driving offences, not just those related to the new legislation.

Between 22 June 2023 and 30 June 2024, ACT Policing seized a total of 508 vehicles (including motorcycles) for offences including improper use of a motor vehicle, fail to stop for police, burnout, crime scenes, proceeds of crime and warrants. Of the 508 vehicles 18 were seized under the new Road Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2023 laws.

ACT Policing will continue to increase its presence with a high-visibility approach across the ACT to deter antisocial and dangerous driving, and influence safe driving practices. ACT Road Policing continues to promote all aspects of road safety through targeted campaigns in line with the ACT Road Safety Calendar.

On Wednesday 8 May 2024 ACT Policing expanded the capabilities of its online reporting portal to include evidence upload of dangerous driving. Members of the public who capture dash-cam or mobile phone footage of driving offences, including dangerous driving, road rage, careless driving, mobile phone, red light and seatbelt offences can now upload that footage directly to the ACT Policing online reporting portal.

Dangerous driving is the latest crime type to feature on the online reporting portal, with historical sexual assaults, petrol drive offs and property damage/vandalism incidents already featured. Importantly, online reporting of dangerous driving is an additional method of reporting, which will complement existing ACT Policing channels. People can still report these matters to Crime Stoppers, the police assistance line (131 444) or by attending a police station.

Countering terrorism and violent extremism

ACT Policing works with partners across national, state and territory law enforcement agencies to respond to the threat of terrorism and violent extremism.

ACT Policing currently has a dedicated Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Case Manager role within the Education and Diversion Team of the Vulnerable Persons portfolio.

ACT Policing partners with the ACT JaCS to deliver the Commonwealth-funded Living Safe Together Intervention Program (LSTIP), working with individuals and communities vulnerable to radicalisation.

The LSTIP provides support to individuals deemed vulnerable to violent extremism within the ACT community and ensure the ACT Government has the appropriate capability, awareness and training in place to support them. Referrals to the LSTIP emanate from a range of partners and see the ACT LSTIP Intervention Panel engage with ACT Policing and directorates to assess cases.

Participation in LSTIP is voluntary, requiring agreement on the part of the participant and their parent or guardian in the case of young people. Individuals who are assessed as not meeting LSTIP requirements may be referred elsewhere for more general community support.

In mid-2020 ACT Policing and Canberra Health Services established ACT FLAG (Fixated and Lone-Actor Grievance-Fuelled Violence), which is the dedicated assessment capability within the ACT. ACT FLAG continues to evolve with the development of joint FLAG operating procedures.

The core function of ACT FLAG is to assess and mitigate the threat of harm posed by persons with demonstrated fixated behaviours and persons vulnerable to engaging in lone-actor grievance-fuelled violence, where there is suspected or known mental illness or mental disorder influencing behaviours and a pathological grievance, evidence of radicalisation or interest in extremism.

The capability has played a vital role in assessing and providing early intervention to members of the community at risk of fixated behaviour towards Members of the Legislative Assembly and ACT Government officials or lone-actor grievance-fuelled violence towards the broader ACT community.

Continuing priorities for FLAG include continuing education sessions such as those provided to the Legislative Assembly and the ACT Department of Education, ongoing outreach and education to referral services and to continue to increase community visibility of ACT FLAG.

Domestic and family violence

On 28 June 2024 the creation of a Domestic and Family Violence Investigations Unit was announced. This is an expansion of ACT Policing’s Family Violence Unit and will allow investigators to focus on Canberra’s most high-risk domestic and family violence matters. The investigation teams will be supported by a coordination team. This coordination team will be responsible for ongoing collaboration with the broader domestic and family violence sector, and for ensuring the training and equipment provided to all ACT Policing members is contemporary and best practice. ACT Policing will have 23 members solely dedicated to domestic and family violence incidents in the ACT.

Domestic and family violence related assaults have decreased by 8 per cent in the 2023–24 financial year when compared to the 2022–23 financial year.

In the 2023–24 financial year:

• an average of 11 domestic and family violence incidents were reported per day
• 43.5 per cent of assaults reported to police were domestic and family violence related
• 32 per cent of domestic and family violence related offences reported to police were cleared by arrest.

ACT Policing is committed to protecting the safety of the community and works with relevant government agencies and non-government partners to ensure a collaborative approach to supporting victim-survivors of domestic and family violence.

ACT Policing undertakes education and prevention strategies, and works with community organisations to educate the community on personal safety, which includes measures to mitigate the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

ACT Policing has productive collaborate relationships with key sector stakeholders including the Domestic Violence Crisis Service, Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, Young Women’s Christian Association, Victim Support ACT and Children Youth and Families to ensure victim-survivors are supported. The network between these partner agencies is crucial in maintaining a level of service and support from point of reported crisis through to the stage where a domestic and family violence survivor may be in the difficult position of deciding to leave a violent relationship, through to and during the arrest and the finalisation of a judicial process.

The information shared through these collaborative partnerships helps to inform a comprehensive assessment undertaken by police, which is used as a predictive tool to identify high-risk victims and offenders and implement and mitigate future high-risk behaviour. ACT Policing also shares its extensive intelligence resources with community and government agencies in a collaborative effort to reduce harm. This work is most often undertaken by ACT Policing’s DFVIU in multi-agency forums such as Case Tracking and Family Violence Safety Action Program.

The DFVIU is a specialist team who provide support and education to frontline police. This first occurs during their studies in the AFP College as recruits and continues throughout their careers as legislation, information, technology and innovation develops. ACT Policing is committed to ensuring that front-line members have the contemporary knowledge to ensure the safety of victims and hold offenders accountable for their actions.

Additionally, the DFVIU undertakes complex domestic and family violence investigations involving high-risk victims and offenders. The DFVIU regularly attends court to assist with bail oppositions, Special Interim court-initiated Family Violence Orders, and works closely with ACT Policing’s Victim Liaison Officers to support domestic and family violence survivors.

The DFVIU works collaboratively with ACT Corrective Services and Children Youth and Families with recidivist programs such as Recidivist Offender Multi Agency Round Table and Offender Management Program.

ACT Policing recognises that women and children are disproportionately affected by domestic and family violence. ACT Policing will continue to work with relevant support services to mitigate the trauma experienced by victims and to ensure that they are supported and protected.

Strengthening community to prevent exploitation by organised crime

ACT Policing continues to work to prevent and disrupt serious and organised crime targeting our community. This is being achieved through a number of investigative strategies and initiatives.

ACT Policing works closely with interstate policing partners, law enforcement, intelligence agencies and other stakeholders across the country – and internationally through Australian Federal Police networks – to maximise the impact that it has on organised crime and illicit profit-making enterprises.

ACT Policing continues to work with the ACT Government to identify appropriate legislative mechanisms to target serious and organised crime groups.

Case Study

Taskforce Invidia

In January 2024 Taskforce Invidia was formed to detect and disrupt organised crime groups (OCGs), including outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) operating within the ACT. Taskforce Invidia will coordinate ACT Policing’s response to large-scale OMCG events and will investigate criminal matters where it is suspected OCG/OMCG members are involved/responsible.

In March 2024 approximately 400 members and associates of the Rebels OMCG descended upon the ACT for an annual event. Taskforce Invidia coordinated ACT Policing’s response to the event, which included increased staffing using police from across the country, the staging of a vehicle check point, the monitoring of behaviour and liaison with the gang’s spokesperson.

Case Study

Tinder campaign promotes positive consent

In 2022 the Crimes (Consent) Amendment Bill 2022 (ACT) provided updates to the Crimes Act 1900 (ACT) to align with contemporary community understandings and expectations of consensual sexual activity, to highlight that consent in relation to sexual interactions is not presumed and there must be an ongoing and mutual engagement between participants.

The Act also outlines that people have a right to choose to not participate in sexual activities. The communicative model of consent is one which is based on responsibility and a culture of healthy, respectful relationships.

As a result of the affirmative consent legislative changes, investigators in ACT Policing’s Sexual Offence and Child Abuse space identified an opportunity for the Australian Federal Police to partner with the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) and the world’s most popular app for meeting new people, Tinder, to promote and reinforce the importance of consent with respect to sexual acts.

A campaign with the tagline ‘Nothing is sexier than consent’ was launched in December 2023 and saw ACT-based users of the dating platform begin to receive in-platform video advertising reminding users of the ACT’s positive consent laws.

The campaign’s reach was extensive with 92,000 ad impressions delivered during the campaign period.

There were 4,076 engagements with the ads (likes and clicks) and 3,415 people watched the videos in their entirety.

The videos provided a link to the sexual assault page on ACT Policing’s website, which provides the community with information in a number of languages on sexual assault, including definitions and reporting processes.

During the campaign period, hits to this page increased significantly with more than 2,500 views of the page. This made it the third highest viewed page on the site for that time period.

It is hoped those reached by the campaign will not only be educated on the legislative changes to consent but promote conversation and awareness, and inform people where to go to seek further information on sexual assault if needed.

Case Study

Multi-agency operation targets road safety

ACT Road Policing, safety and compliance officers from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and vehicle inspection officers from Access Canberra came together on 7 August 2023 to conduct a targeted operation.

With the shared agency goal of ensuring all drivers are reaching their destination safely, the operation stopped drivers on the Monaro Highway during the morning and afternoon so police and their road safety partners could identify:

• unregistered and/or uninsured vehicles
• unroadworthy vehicles
• drivers who were under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• load safety issues
• professional driver logbook issues
• heavy vehicles with excess weight or unsecured loads.

The following activities occurred on the day:

• 3,294 random breath tests were conducted
• 31 drug driving tests were conducted
• 90 defect notices were issued
• 52 infringement notices were issued for offences including unlicenced, unregistered/uninsured vehicles and unrestrained children.

As a further result of the operations, two people were issued summons for unlicenced driving and drug driving.

Operations like these are just one way police and their partners both enforce the road rules and spread the message about road safety.

As well as these large-scale operations, police continue to conduct roadside alcohol and drug screening at any time, on any road and in marked and unmarked vehicles.

Case Study

New Domestic and Family Violence Investigation Unit

The creation of a new DFVIU will see 23 ACT Policing officers solely dedicated to domestic and family violence incidents in the ACT.

ACT Policing continues to review and adapt how it responds to serious crime and this is the first time in the history of the ACT that there is a unit solely dedicated to this crime type.

In the first six months of 2024 police across the territory responded to almost 2,000 domestic and family violence incidents. More than 500 of these instances involved assaults, which is an increase of 106 per cent over the last decade.

These instances are happening across the territory with no suburb in the ACT being immune. ACT Policing is seeing the many ways that domestic and family violence manifests itself, including homicides, violent threats, assaults, stalking and coercive control.

This new investigation unit aims to improve the way ACT Policing handles domestic and family violence matters, easing the pressure on General Duties police officers and providing the most vulnerable victims with specialised support.

The existing DFVIU will expand to include officers dedicated to investigating the highest-risk domestic and family violence offenders. It will be supported by a coordination team staffed by experienced officers responsible for liaising with victim-survivors and other government partners and developing and implementing training packages.

First response to domestic and family violence incidents in the ACT will still be provided by General Duties police officers, supported by the coordination team.

5. Professional Standards

• AFP Professional Standards Framework and AFP conduct issues
• ACT Policing Complaint Statistics
• Trends Analysis

The term Professional Standards relates to the Commissioner’s expectation that all AFP appointees, including those in ACT Policing, will serve with integrity.

AFP Professional Standards sits within the AFP’s Security Command and is responsible for maintaining, promoting and enhancing integrity within the AFP. It does this through:

• a proactive integrity framework incorporating the development and delivery of misconduct and corruption prevention strategies
• complaint management through investigation and resolution of misconduct, practices issues and corruption matters.

The AFP’s professional standards are underpinned by the AFP Core Values (see Chapter 3: Our Values) and the AFP Code of Conduct. Further information on the AFP Values and the AFP Code of Conduct is available on the AFP website (www.afp.gov.au).

AFP Professional Standards Framework and AFP conduct issues

AFP Professional Standards (PRS) is responsible for the development and maintenance of a robust and transparent framework to safeguard and strengthen the integrity of the AFP. It operates under Part V of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 (Cth) (AFP Act) to support the agency and its appointees through the AFP’s Integrity Framework, via a range of strategies to prevent, detect, respond to and investigate corruption, conduct and practices issues.

Integrated Complaints Management Model

In 2022–23, the AFP enhanced the complaints framework by introducing a single-entry point for reporting workplace issue and complaints. The model reduces complexity, enhances communication and timeliness and promotes transparency and consistency in decision making.

The Workplace Issues and Complaints Resolution Team (Resolution Team) launched on
1 March 2023 and consists of a network of contact officers, case managers and administrative investigators who work in partnership with PRS, the Confidant Network and Safe Reporting, SHIELD and AFP business areas, to ensure a supportive complaints resolution process for our people.

The Resolution Team supports members to navigate the grievance and complaints process, and identifies other alternative resolution processes if more appropriate. A dedicated team was established to investigate Category 1 and Category 2 complaints.

The Resolution Team manages external complaints and has extensive engagement and collaboration with external partners, including Victim Support ACT, the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

Categories of conduct

Part V of the AFP Act defines the categories of complaints relating to AFP appointees. Complaints are dealt with as breaches of the AFP Code of Conduct and fall into 4 categories:

• Category 1 – relating to minor management issues, customer service and performance matters.
• Category 2 – relating to minor misconduct and inappropriate behaviour.
• Category 3 – relating to serious misconduct.
• Category 4 – relating to corruption issues.

The Resolution Team refers serious misconduct and corruption matters (Category 3 and 4 complaints) to AFP PRS for investigation. Category 3 matters are subject to additional oversight and are reported to the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

In 2022–23, Category 4 Corruption issues (defined by the Australian Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Act 2006 (Cth)) were required to be reported to the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI). These matters were deemed to be either significant or non-significant corruption and the matter in which they would be investigated was determined by ACLEI:

• ACLEI
• ACLEI with the AFP jointly
• AFP with ACLEI oversight or management
• AFP without ACLEI oversight or management.

As of 1 July 2023, the AFP started reporting to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) which succeeded ACLEI. AFP is now required to refer corruption matters that fit within the definition of ‘serious and systemic’. All other corruption matters will be investigated by AFP Professional Standards.

ACT Policing Complaint Statistics

Complaint data

All data related to complaints was extracted from the AFP’s SAS Visual Analytics suite, which is a live system updated on a daily basis. This report is reflective of Category 1–4 complaints that relate to members of ACT Policing. The data for this report was extracted and accurate as at 1 July 2024. This data is subject to change as complaints are upgraded, downgraded, merged, allocated and re-opened.

Following a recommendation from the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Ombudsman in a previous Part V Inspection Report, AFP PRS refined its processes. As a result of this change, there was an increase in allegations submitted that are finalised with a finding applied of ‘section 40TF Discretion not to proceed’. This includes complaints where due diligence inquiries are made on receipt of the complaint and it is determined there is no basis for the complaint. Due diligence inquiries may include reviewing body-worn camera footage or CCTV, and conducting systems access audits.

In 2023–24, AFP Professional Standards received 93 complaints relating to ACT Policing, resulting in 220allegations^[1] being recorded.

Table 5.1: Alleged complaints recorded during 2023–24 by source

Table 5.2: Alleged conduct allegations recorded during the last four years, by category^[2]

Trend Analysis section highlights that a large portion of these allegations were finalised, pursuant of section 40TF of the AFP Act for not having the merit to warrant an admin investigation.

Non-compliance with Body Worn Camera Governance

As at 1 July 2024 for the 2023–24 year, one complaint about the use of, or failure to use, a Body Worn Camera^[3] by any ACT Policing member was received by Professional Standards. This complaint involved the non-compliance or governance breach against mandatory Body Worn Camera use, based on the requirements under the Crime (Surveillance Devices) Act 2010 (ACT) or the 2022 Crimes (Surveillance Devices) Body-worn Cameras Guidelines Disallowable Instrument.

Table 5.3: Finalised conduct allegations during 2023–24, by category^[4]

Table 5.4: Finalised established conduct breaches during 2023–24

Timeliness of complaints

Timeliness benchmarks are applied to Category 1–3 complaints. The benchmarks are:

• 42 days for Category 1 matters (if not informally resolved within 10 business days)
• 66 days for Category 2 matters
• 256 days for Category 3 matters
• Corruption issues fall under the National Anti‑Corruption Commission Act 2022 and are not subject to a timeliness benchmark.

Table 5.5: Average and median^[6] run time of investigated^[7] complaints 2023–24^[8]

Table 5.6: Complaints on hand^[11] as at 1 July 2024

Table 5.7: Number of informal complaints reported to the Resolution Team 2023–24

Table 5.8: Number of victims’ rights-related complaints reported 2023–24

Trends Analysis

Alleged complaints and allegations submitted

ACT Policing saw a 45 per cent increase in the total number of complaints submitted relating to ACT Policing members in 2023–24 compared to 2022–23, rising from 64 to 93.

Of those 93 complaints, 49 per cent (or 46 complaints) did not proceed to an investigation and were finalised as Discretion not to proceed, pursuant to section 40TF of the AFP Act.

The sources of complaints submitted in 2023–24 were largely the same as those in 2022–23. The majority of complaints were submitted by members of the public: 58 per cent (or 54 complaints) submitted in 2023–24 and 61 per cent (or 39 complaints) submitted in 2022–23.

Self-reported complaints by an ACT Policing member make up a small percentage: 1 per cent (1 complaint) in 2023–24 compared to 3 per cent (2 complaints) in 2022–23.

Category 1 — ACT Policing received almost twice as many Category 1 allegations in 2023–24 compared to 2022–23 (71 compared to 44). Of the 71 Category 1 allegations submitted in 2023–24, 22 proceeded to an investigation. The remaining 49 allegations were finalised as Discretion not to proceed.

Category 2 — ACT Policing saw a slight reduction in the number of Category 2 allegations submitted in 2023–24 compared to 2022–23 (29 compared to 38). This was a decrease of 24 per cent.

Category 3 — ACT Policing saw an increase in the number of Category 3 allegations received in 2023–24 compared to 2022–23 (103 compared to 32). Of the 103 allegations submitted in 2023–34, 68 proceeded to an investigation. The remaining 35 were finalised as Discretion not to proceed. During 2023–24, multiple separate complaints that were received involved multiple allegations and/or multiple members.

Corruption issues — ACT Policing saw an increase in the number of Category 4 allegations received in 2023–24 compared to 2022–23 (17 compared to 8). Of those 17 allegations in 2023–24, 10 related to a single complaint.

The most commonly alleged breaches submitted against ACT Policing members in 2023–24  were:

Category 1

• Failure to Act – 31 breaches
• Discourtesy – 22 breaches
• Inadequate Service – 11 breaches

Category 2

• CO3 Non-Serious Nature – 12 breaches
• Fail to Comply with Procedure – 4 breaches
• Due Care/Diligence Failure – 3 breaches

Category 3

• CO3 Serious Nature – 31 breaches
• CO3 with Injury – 23 breaches

• Due Care/Diligence Failure – 15 breaches

Corruption Issues

• Abuse of Office – 12 breaches
• Pervert Course of Justice – 2 breaches
• Information Release – 2 breaches

Finalised complaints and allegations

In 2023–24 Professional Standards and the Resolution Team finalised 99 complaints consisting of 203 allegations  . This was an increase of 55 per cent in complaints and an increase of 48 per cent in allegations finalised compared to 2022–23 when there were 64 complaints consisting of 137 breaches.

Of the 99 complaints finalised, 40 complaints proceeded to an investigation while the remaining 59 were not investigated and subsequently finalised as Discretion not to proceed.

Of the 40 investigations finalised in 2023–24, 5 were corruption issues with no investigation benchmark. 57 per cent (20 investigations) of the other 40 investigations were finalised within their investigation benchmark. This was a slight increase compared to 2022–23 when 54 per cent of investigation finalised in benchmark – or 32 out of 60 investigations.

In 2023–24 there were 203 finalised Category 1–4 conduct breaches which resulted in the following conduct breach findings:

• 13 per cent (27) Established
• 12 per cent (25) Not Established
• 74 per cent (151) Discretion not to proceed

Of the 151 allegations with a finding of Discretion not to proceed, 125related to complaints that did not proceed to an investigation.

Established matters

In 2023–24 there was a slight increase in the number of established allegations compared to 2022–23 (27 compared to 22). 13 of those allegations were Category 2 conduct breaches, which represented the highest proportion of all established Category 1–4 conduct breaches (48 per cent). This was consistent with Category 2 established conduct issues being the highest proportion, or equal to the highest proportion of established breach conduct categories across the last 4 financial years.

The most prevalent established conduct breach type in 2023–24 was Information Access (5 instances). In 2022–23 the most prevalent was Inappropriate Behaviour/Conduct with 3 instances.

As outlined in the Statement of Intent dated 18 December 2020^[14] Commissioner Kershaw set a target of Category 1–4 established Professional Standards breaches to be less than 3.1 per 100 staff members. ACT Policing met this target, resulting in 2.7 established Category 1–4 allegations per 100 staff members. The breakdown of established Category 1 and 2 allegations per 100 staff was 1.5 and the breakdown of established Category 3 conduct breaches per 100 staff was 1.2.

To maintain proper oversight and ensure AFP complaint investigations maintain integrity and fairness in practice and process, the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Ombudsman undertakes an annual review of randomly selected complaint investigations. ACT Policing and the AFP work closely with the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Ombudsman to adopt the principles of best practice for complaint management.

6. Use of Force

All AFP members, including those in ACT Policing, are governed by AFP Commissioner’s Order 3 (CO3) in the application of use of force principles. CO3 articulates mandatory compliance requirements in reporting and training.

All police members receive use of force training, during which the principles of communication and conflict de-escalation are emphasised as alternatives to the use of physical force. Police members are required to complete these use of force qualifications annually.

In all cases where members use force that is not a routine use of force the officer must, as soon as practical, submit a use of force report. ‘Use’ is defined with respect to the type of force used, which is as follows:

• Firearm, conducted electrical weapon or chemical agent (OC Spray) or extended range impact weapon:
• drawing
• aiming
• discharging
• Baton:
• raising with the intention to strike or gain compliance
• striking a person
• striking a person with any part of the shield
• directed intentional deployment at a person with the intention to gain compliance whether or not the police dog bites the subject
• defence of itself, handler or any other person
• discharging the device so that concussive force, light, sound or any combination of these is emitted against another person[15]
• emitting sound from the device against another person to gain subject control[16]

• Shield:

• Police dog:

• Pyrotechnic device:

• Long-range audio device:

Routine use of force means the following uses of force performed as part of an AFP appointee’s operational duties:

• compliant escort or restraint holds (including to effect an arrest)

• compliant handcuffing

• compliant search of a person

• force to enter a building, vehicle, vessel or other secured area to search, recover, seize or arrest where there is no application of force against a person.

Routine uses of force or verbal commands which do not involve the application of use of force options are not reportable. The circumstances of each routine use of force incident event must be recorded within the relevant PROMIS case.

All use of force reports are assessed for compliance with CO3 by the officer’s supervisor. When reviewing the report the supervisor must identify, address and report to Professional Standards (PRS) any suspected misconduct issues arising from the reportable use of force incident. Also, the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Ombudsman can, and does, enquire into use of force incidents and is empowered to make recommendations for the ongoing transparency of use of force recording and reporting processes.

The principles of negotiation, communication and de-escalation are always emphasised as being primary considerations before using physical force. Governance and oversight arrangements are in place to assure the community that any use of force is applied appropriately.

Table 6.1: Summary of the number of Use of Force reports submitted by ACT Policing

During 2023–24, the total number of Use of Force reports submitted by ACT Policing decreased 12.8 per cent from 2022–23.

7. Staffing Profile

• Average Full-Time Equivalent and Headcount
• ACT Policing Workforce Composition Headcount
• Average Length of Service by Gender
• Separations
• Recruitment

ACT Policing is committed to providing quality and effective policing services to the ACT Community through a modern, agile and highly skilled workforce. In the 2023–24 budget, ACT Policing received $107.26 million to increase ACT Policing staffing levels by 126 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) over five years. In 2023–24, 28 positions were funded under this initiative, equivalent to 18.75 FTE.

ACT Policing reports on members by headcount and FTE. Headcount is the number of ACT Policing members on 30 June 2024. FTE figures are reported as an average over the full financial year and exclude members who are classified ‘inoperative unpaid’ (members who are on leave and not being paid by ACT Policing)[17]. The reporting of average FTE provides the most accurate reporting of resourcing across the year.

In line with the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement, ACT Policing’s FTE is supplemented by the enabling services of the AFP. In 2023–24, 267 nominal FTE were purchased to support ACT Policing under the enabling services model. This notional FTE of sworn and professional members represents the services provided by the broader AFP in the delivery of community policing services to the ACT. Examples of such services include the Specialist Response Group, Forensics and Professional Standards. Reported FTE figures are higher than the reported headcount due to the inclusion of these enabling FTE.

The enabling FTE of 267 excludes ACT Policing members conducting Commonwealth-funded duties and SHIELD services, so this is not reflected in any of the reported headcount figures.

As at 30 June 2024 there was a total of 1,032 members within ACT Policing, of which over a third of the total workforce were female (41.47 per cent).

Females represented 31.94 per cent of the 742 sworn members in ACT Policing, an increase of 0.20 per cent from 31.74 per cent in 2022–23.

ACT Policing had 80 police recruits start in 2023–24, of which 27.5 per cent were female.

Of the 1,032 members, 4.36 per cent identify as First Nations peoples. This is an increase of 0.72 per cent since the previous financial year and is reflective of ACT Policing’s continual commitment to increasing First Nations representation in accordance with the AFP Reconciliation Action Plan 2022–24. Despite a minor decline in representation of CALD and people with disability, ACT Policing remains committed to achieving greater workforce diversity that is reflective of the community we serve.

Employees aged between 25 and 44 account for 64.15 per cent of ACT Policing’s workforce, with employees aged over 50 accounting for 18.22 per cent of the workforce.

Average Full-Time Equivalent and Headcount

Table 7.1: Average Full Time Equivalent and Headcount in 2023–24

Table 7.2: Headcount on 30 June 2024 by gender

ACT Policing Workforce Composition Headcount

Table 7.3: ACT Policing workforce composition headcount on 30 June 2024^[20]

Table 7.4: Headcount on 30 June 2024 by employment category and gender

Table 7.5: Headcount on 30 June 2024 by division/branch

Table 7.6: Headcount on 30 June 2024 by division/branch and employment type

Table 7.7: Headcount on 30 June 2024 by age group and gender

Table 7.8: Headcount on 30 June 2024 by diversity^[26]

Average Length of Service by Gender

Table 7.9: Average length of service by gender

Separations

Table 7.10: Separations 2023–24^[28]

Recruitment

Table 7.11: Recruitment 2023–24^[29]

8. Financials

• Financial Performance
• Financial Analysis
• Asset Management

Under the 2022–26 Purchase Agreement between the ACT Government, Australian Federal Police and the Chief Police Officer, ACT Policing was appropriated $215.537 million to deliver community policing services to the ACT for 2023–24.

Financial Performance

The following financial information is based on audited Financial Reports for 2022–23 and
2023–24.

ACT Policing fiscal decisions supported a strong financial position in 2023–24, with a small surplus of $0.332 million (or 0.15 per cent).

Financial Analysis

Total revenue received by the AFP for the provision of policing services to the ACT was $228.208 million (including base appropriation, resources received free of charge and other revenue). This represented an increase of $15.285 million compared with the previous financial year (2022–23). The increase resulted primarily from additional funding for the following measures:

• ACT Policing Enterprise Agreement – technical adjustment ($4.393m)
• ACT Policing Organised Crime Task Force ($0.215m)
• ACT Policing Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team ($0.453m)
• Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) – review ($0.020m)
• Police, Ambulance and Clinician Early Response (PACER) – 2nd team ($0.343m)
• Fixated and Lone-Actor Grievance-Fuelled Violence (FLAG) ($0.25m)
• More ACT Police (MAP) ($7.755m)
• Commonwealth Grant – Family Law information sharing ($0.243m)
• Cost pressures (Insurance & Board of Inquiry (BOI)) ($0.884m)
• ACT Policing indexation ($1.129m)

An additional amount was received through the Treasurer’s Advance:

• Costs awarded against police ($1.142m)
• Relocation costs ($0.250m)

Offset by reduction in:

• Prior year Treasurer’s advance – costs against police and BOI ($2.211m)

Total expenses amounted to $227.876 million which was an increase of $14.973 million compared to 2022–23. The increased expenditure relates to new and additional budget initiatives funded through the ACT Government budget process. The MAP contributed to the increase in Employee Expenses of $3.547 million compared to 2022–23.

Annual financial statements for the reporting period, accompanied by the Auditor- General’s independent audit report, can be found at Appendix 1: Financial Statements.

Asset Management

Assets Managed

Many of the facilities and infrastructure used by ACT Policing are owned by the ACT Government. Asset management for the facilities and infrastructure is the responsibility of the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, supported by ACT Policing.

Table 8.1 shows the assets managed by ACT Policing. As of 30 June 2024, the total value was $14.3 million.

Table 8.1: Assets managed by ACT Policing

Assets Maintenance and Update

Separate to facilities, ACT Policing conducted a number of capability asset upgrades and replacements throughout 2023–24. These included one additional closed circuit television trailer, ongoing ballistic spike rated vest replacements, additional Body Worn Cameras, Draeger Breath Analysis Equipment, Watch-House CCTV replacement plus upgrades and ongoing roll-out of the automatic number plate recognition units through asset replacement.

Capability replacement, upgrades, repairs and maintenance all support positive outcomes for ACT Policing and the wider community through maintaining high standards of equipment, safety and technical advancement.

Accommodation

In accordance with Policing Arrangement and 2022–26 Purchase Agreement, the ACT Government is responsible for the provision of appropriate facilities and associated infrastructure for the provision of policing services by the AFP. The ACT Government provides 8 of the 11 sites occupied by ACT Policing which includes 5 police stations. ACT Policing employs 1,032 members (headcount) occupying 35,246 square metres as detailed in Table 8.2.

Table 8.2: Asset maintenance

Capital Works

Capital works projects were completed across ACT Policing sites during the reporting period. Details of the completed works are presented in the following tables.

Table 8.3: Completed works projects 2023–24

Government Contracting

As a Commonwealth agency, ACT Policing complies with the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth). ACT Policing applies the Commonwealth Procurement Rules when procuring property and services, through the Commissioner’s financial instructions.

Government Procurement Policies

Under Commonwealth Procurement Rules, the AFP is required to undertake the following in relation to procurements:

• Publish all open approaches to the market on AusTender.
• Require procurements valued at $80,000 or more to be conducted through open approaches to the market (select tendering and direct sourcing for procurements valued at $80,000 or more are only allowed in limited circumstances).
• Report the details of all awarded procurement contracts and purchases valued at $10,000 or more on AusTender within six weeks of the AFP entering into the arrangement.

The AusTender website can be accessed at www.tenders.gov.au.

Procurement Exempted from Quotation and Tender Threshold

ACT Policing operates within the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Framework. For more details please see the AFP Annual Report (www.afp.gov.au).

Construction Grants and Social Procurement

ACT Policing did not issue any construction grants or engage in any social procurement activities during the 2023–24 reporting period.

9. Appendices

• Appendix 1: Financial Statements
• Appendix 2: Statement of Performance
• Appendix 3: Number of Offences Reported or Becoming Known in the Australian Capital Territory 2019–20 to 2023–24
• Appendix 4: Offences cleared by ACT Policing in the Australian Capital Territory 2019–20 to 2023–24
• Appendix 5: Percentage of offences cleared by ACT Policing
• Appendix 6: Proceedings against offenders by ACT Policing (charges)
• Appendix 7: Abbreviations

Appendix 1: Financial Statements

Appendix 2: Statement of Performance

Appendix 3: Number of Offences Reported or Becoming Known in the Australian Capital Territory 2019–20 to 2023–24

Appendix 4: Offences cleared by ACT Policing in the Australian Capital Territory 2019–20 to 2023–24

Appendix 5: Percentage of offences cleared by ACT Policing