Australian Federal Police Protective Service
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Australian Federal Police Protective Service is the organisation responsible for protection of Commonwealth Government property, property of foreign governments and international treaty organisations, Commonwealth officers and their families and international protected personals. It was formerly known as the Australian Protective Service, however it merged with the Australian Federal Police in 2004 and became known as the Australian Federal Police Protective Service.
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[edit] History
The Australian Protective Service was established in 1984 from the Australian Federal Police. The APS was responsible for the protection of property in which the Commonwealth, a foreign country or an international organisation has an interest in, persons holding office under the Commonwealth, their families and internationally protected persons. The APS also operated some functions in the contestable private sector area. With the sale of Australian airport facilities the APS contracted for the provision of Counter Terrorism First Response (CTFR) role to the airport operators.
[edit] Present
The Australian Protective Service Amendment Bill 2002 was introduced into the Parliament with the intention of making the Australian Protective Service (APS) become an operating division of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The legislation passed and full integration took effect from July 1 2004. The service is now known as the Australian Federal Police Protective Service, an operational division of the AFP.
AFPPS officers are referred to as "Protective Service Officers" (PSOs) and do not have the same powers as General Duty (GDs) Federal Police Officers, however they do work under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 and do have powers of arrest for Commonwealth Offences relating to their working area.
Existing as the Protective Service function of the AFP the AFPPS works under the same portfolios as Witness Protection, Close Personal Protection and Protective Security Intelligence.
[edit] Roles and functions
Some of the AFPPS key roles include:
- High level security at the residences of the Governor-General and the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia
- Protection of Parliament House, and the Office of the Prime Minister
- Protection of foreign embassies and consulate offices within Australia (such as the United States Diplomatic Mission to Australia)
- Protection of sensitive defence establishments (Pine Gap, and Maralinga, the old atomic testing site in South Australia, offices and residences of high office-holders, foreign diplomatic missions,
- Protection of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation at Lucas Heights and other sensitive nuclear storage facilities.
- Counter-Terrorist First Response (CTFR) at all major airports, and are found at 27 sites and diplomatic missions in Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney.
- Perform security and escort protection for Commonwealth VIP's.
- All officers have a high level of training in a first response role with often on-going training.
- The Air Security Officer (ASO's) Program is also under the AFPPS area of expertise.
In addition, it is at defence sites at Exmouth, the United States Naval Communications Station at North West Cape, Western Australia, the Australian Defence Signals facility, Geraldton, Western Australia. It also provides backup security at immigation centres.
PSO's have a higher level of skill in the area of Counter Terrorism First Response than general duties police officers with on-going training to enhance skill levels.
In 2007, the APEC Summit hosted in various Australian states and cities including Sydney will have AFPPS involvement regarding enforcement and protection as world leaders including John Howard, George W Bush and other government and economic leaders will be in attendance.
[edit] The ASO Program
In response to the September 11 incidents, the Commonwealth instituted an Air Security Officer Program under the APS. These employees are generally referred to in the media as "Sky Marshal" or "Air Marshal". The ASO Programme provides a discrete anti-hijacking capability for Australian civil aviation by providing armed security personnel on board aircraft. This involves both random and intelligence-led placement of armed ASOs on flights operated by Australian registered air carriers, including domestic and international flights into and out of Australia.
The program has draws from a pool of applicants that includes Defence personnel and employees of State Police Services and the AFPPS but must be sworn as PSO's for the AFP.
[edit] Peacekeeping
A reflection of the AFP's international obligations is its peacekeeping role. The AFP's peacekeeping efforts are principally focused on the Pacific where the organisation assists in the law-enforcing efforts of many sovereign nations. As such, AFPPS officers are routinely deployed overseas to assist with peacekeeping operations due to the tactical training they have received.
AFPPS officers are at present deployed along with other Australian law enforcement officers in the Solomon Islands and now East Timor as part of RAMSI.
