Senior Constable Michael Kelly

If you are a police officer looking for a change ACT Policing you can make the move as a Lateral and join our team.

After working with Northern Territory Police for nine years, Senior Constable Michael Kelly moved to ACT Policing in 2021 and hasn’t regretted it.

What motivated you to apply to join ACT Policing?

I joined the Australian Federal Police because I wanted to work in an organisation without borders. I wanted to start in ACT Policing to benefit from working in General Duties and learn how ACT Policing and the AFP functioned before considering further career opportunities.

What opportunities have you had since moving to ACT Policing?

It wasn’t long after I started that I was working as an Acting Sergeant leading a response team, and a year into the organisation I successfully transferred to Criminal Investigations. I currently work in the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse area. I have also been fortunate to undertake a number of training opportunities to help progress my career.

What was the Lateral training course like?

It’s not a standard recruit course!

I was initially nervous about the change in jurisdictions and the feeling of relearning everything. One of my lateral course instructors is a lateral themselves and I found that it was not as enduring as expected. There are obvious legislative and policy differences that must be learnt, but I was not learning to be a Police Officer again, I was only learning how to Police in a different jurisdiction. The learning was collaborative.

Overall, the experience at the AFP College for me was enjoyable and I found my revived energy in Policing through this course.

How has your lifestyle changed since moving to Canberra?

Since moving from Darwin to Canberra my life is a lot more social. Living in Canberra offers a lot of events that suit my lifestyle, it’s the east coast without needing to be in bigger cities. Travel is a lot easier, and the work opportunities are vast. There are a lot of career options available with ACT Policing and the AFP, more than I realised!

What is one of the best things about working in ACT Policing?

Some of the best things about joining have been the support functions that have been provided in career options, job progression, training opportunities and work-life balance. I also found my previous policing experience has been really valued by ACT Policing.

What has been one of your biggest career highlights with ACT Policing?

Continued opportunities for Acting Sergeant have been a real highlight for me, it showed me that there are ongoing opportunities for me within ACT Policing and my skills and experience are recognised and valued.