Australian Federal Police

The Australian Federal Police is the principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government, responsible for investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. The AFP is an independent agency of the Department of Home Affairs and is responsible to the Minister for Home Affairs. Since October 2025, the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police is Krissy Barrett.
The AFP has a focus on preventing, investigating and disrupting transnational, serious, complex, and organised crime, including terrorism and violent extremism, cybercrime, child exploitation, drug smuggling, and human trafficking. The AFP is also responsible for delivering community policing in the Australian Capital Territory through ACT Policing, and to other dependent territories, providing protective security in major airports, and close protection for dignitaries. The AFP also contributes to United Nations peacekeeping around the world. It is a member of the National Intelligence Community and works closely with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Border Force, and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

History

The Australian Federal Police was formed on 19 October 1979 under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979. after the merging of the former Commonwealth Police and the Australian Capital Territory Police. This followed a review of Australia's anti-terrorism capacity by Sir Robert Mark, former commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in the UK, which was commissioned by the Fraser government following the 1978 Hilton bombing. In November 1979, the Federal Narcotics Bureau was transferred to the new agency.
In 1984 the protective service component of the AFP was separated, forming the Australian Protective Service under the administrative service and later governed by Attorney-General's Department. APS was transferred back to the AFP in 2004.

Governance and oversight

The AFP is an independent agency of the Department of Home Affairs and is responsible to the Minister for Home Affairs and accountable to the Parliament of Australia.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, a joint committee of members of the Australian House and Senate, has responsibility for oversight of the AFP and the Australian Crime Commission.
Separately, the National Anti-Corruption Commission is charged with investigating systemic corruption in the AFP and other commonwealth agencies.

Roles and functions

The AFP's role is to enforce Australian criminal law, contribute to combating complex, transnational, serious and organised crime impacting Australia's national security and to protect Commonwealth interests from criminal activity in Australia and overseas. Key priorities of the AFP are set by the Attorney-General, through a ministerial direction issued under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979.
The AFP has a focus on preventing, investigating and disrupting transnational, serious, complex and organised crime including terrorism and violent extremism, cybercrime, child exploitation, drug smuggling, and human trafficking. The AFP is also responsible for delivering community policing in the Australian Capital Territory through ACT Policing and to other dependent territories, providing protective security in major airports and close protection for dignitaries including the prime minister of Australia and foreign diplomatic missions, delivering law enforcement training for Asia-Pacific partner agencies, acting as Australia's international law enforcement and policing representative, and contributing to United Nations peacekeeping around the world. The AFP is also a member of the National Intelligence Community and works closely with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Border Force, and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Areas of operational emphasis include:

investigating complex, transnational, serious and organised crime
protecting Australians and Australian interests from terrorism and violent extremism
representing Australian police and law enforcement on an international level
developing unique capabilities and exploiting advanced technology to support Australia's national interests.

Continued responsibilities include providing:

community policing services under contracted arrangement, to the Australian Capital Territory and territories of Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Norfolk Island and Jervis Bay Territory.
a national protection capability to ensure the protection of specific individuals, establishments and events identified by the Australian Government as being at risk.
a national counter-terrorism first response capability focused on aviation security and protection of critical infrastructure.
National operations

Federal agents are based in each Australian state and territory, internationally and form the largest component of the AFP staff, federal agents chiefly perform criminal investigative duties.
Current areas of focus for the AFP:

Illicit drug trafficking
People smuggling;
Human trafficking, including slavery and human exploitation;
Serious major fraud against the government
High-tech crime involving information technology and communications
Prevention, countering and investigation of terrorism
Transnational and multi-jurisdictional crime
Money laundering
Organised crime
Cyber crime

The AFP hosts a National Missing Persons Coordination Unit, and the Australian Interpol National Central Bureau.

In Australian Capital Territory and other territories

In addition to its federal role, the AFP provides policing services to the Australian Capital Territory and the external territories, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Norfolk Island, and Jervis Bay Territory.

Specialist Protective Command

The AFP Specialist Protective Command provides physical protection for the Australian government at key locations throughout Australia and internationally. Uniform protection officers are firearms and defensive tactics trained, and perform duties which include armed escorts, bomb appraisals, bomb detection canines, visitor control, static guarding, alarm monitoring and response, mobile, foot and bicycle patrols, maintain civil order, security consultancy services, counter-terrorism first response at many Commonwealth establishments. Protective Service Officers have powers under Section 14 of the AFP Act 1979 to stop, request identification, search and arrest within their jurisdiction. Uniform protection officers undertake an essential role in protecting Australia's critical infrastructure and assist in providing protection for Australian high office holders, diplomatic, consular personnel and other foreign nationals.
Specialist Protective Command officers providing an armed uniform capability are located at federal establishments including Parliament House in Canberra; the residences of the prime minister and governor-general; foreign embassies and consulates in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth; the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, joint defence facilities such as the Australian Defence Force Headquarters in Canberra, Holsworthy Barracks, Garden Island Naval Base, Victoria Barracks, the Pine Gap US defence installation, and sensitive covert locations in Australia and internationally.
Aviation Uniform Police are the primary law enforcement agency responsible for aviation security at the nine major Australian airports; Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Cairns, Gold Coast and Perth. On 6 December 2019 the that the Protective Operations Response Team members located at the nine designated Australian airports will carry the Daniel Defense Mk.18 Short Barreled Rifle. The increase in AFP aviation protection capability was part of the , the short barreled firearms specifically for the purpose of delivering a Counter Terrorist First Response role.

International peacekeeping

Since its inception, the AFP has had a long tradition of involvement in international peacekeeping, policing and capacity development. International Deployment Group is an AFP portfolio that has increased rapidly in a short time since its inception in 2004. Since 1964, Australia has contributed police officers to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. AFP officers have also previously served with the United Nations in East Timor and South Sudan.
In recent years, Australian government efforts to assist neighbouring and remote countries with institutional capacity building has led to AFP deployments to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Nauru, Tonga, Vanuatu, Afghanistan, Samoa and Vanuatu. Previous peacekeeping missions have included Haiti, Mozambique, Thailand, Namibia, and Somalia.
IDG uses the Specialist Response Group for particular medium and high risk planned operations or emergency incidents in addition to assisting with capacity building and force protection operations.

Ceremonial and protocol

The AFP Ceremonial and Protocol Team conducts and participates in a variety of police and community functions and ceremonies.
Ceremonial events include the annual National Police Remembrance Day Service at the National Police Memorial in Canberra on 29 September, medal presentations, parades, police funerals, memorial services, official opening of police stations and policing facilities, AFP pipes and drums concerts, inauguration events and public relations events. The Ceremonial Team coordinates the AFP Ceremonial and Protocol Officer Network and the AFP Pipes and Drums to perform ceremonial duties at these functions and ceremonies.
Formerly the Ceremonial team also included the AFP Ceremonial Mounted Cadre. The AFP Ceremonial Mounted Cadre was raised on 29 September 2006 at the dedication of the National Police Memorial. The ceremonial uniform comprises linkages to former mounted policing units of the AFP's predecessor organisations, namely the Commonwealth Police and the Peace Officer guard, as well as mounted policing units from the NSW Police Force which patrolled the geographic area of the ACT. The Mounted Cadre was disbanded shortly after their final appearance at the opening of the AFP's new Headquarters in Barton on 7 April 2011.
The AFP Ceremonial and Protocol team currently provide drill instructor accreditation for both the AFP and the NSW Police Force, and ceremonial and protocol officer accreditation for all of Australia's policing jurisdictions.