# Australian Federal Police

| Australian Federal Police |
| --- |
| Abbreviation | AFP |
| Agency overview |
| Preceding agencies | * Commonwealth Police
* Australian Capital Territory Police
* Australian Protective Service
* Federal Bureau of Narcotics
 |
| Employees | 7,077 *(2022–2023)* |
| Volunteers | Small numbers for non-operations related activity. |
| Annual budget | A$1.73 billion *(2022–2023)* |
| Jurisdictional structure |
| Federal agency | Australia |
| Operations jurisdiction | Australia |
| Governing body | Government of Australia |
| Constituting instrument | * Australian Federal Police Act 1979
 |
| General nature | * Federal law enforcement
* Civilian police
 |
| Operational structure |
| Headquarters | Edmund Barton Building, Canberra |
| Minister responsible | * Mark Dreyfus, Attorney-General of Australia
 |
| Agency executive | * Reece Kershaw, Commissioner
 |
| Functions |
11
* Counter Terrorism
* Protection Operations
* Organised Crime and Cyber
* Crime Operations
* International Operations
* Border Investigations
* Technology and Innovation
* Specialist Operations
* Support Capability
* Australian Institute of Police Management
* ACT Policing
 |
| Offices |
9
* Adelaide Office
* Brisbane Office
* Darwin Office
* Hobart Office
* Melbourne Office
* Perth Office
* Sydney Office
* Cairns Office
* Winchester Centre, ACT
 |
| Website |
| www.afp.gov.au |
| The Australian Federal Police, while a federal agency, provides policing to dependent Australian (on and offshore) Commonwealth Territories. |

The **Australian Federal Police** (**AFP**) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government with the unique role of investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. The AFP is an independent agency of the Attorney-General's Department and is responsible to the Attorney-General and accountable to the Parliament of Australia.

The **Australian Federal Police** (**AFP**) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government with the unique role of investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. The AFP is an independent agency of the Attorney-General's Department and is responsible to the Attorney-General and accountable to the Parliament of Australia. As of October 2019 the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police is Reece Kershaw, formerly the Northern Territory Police Commissioner.

## Commissioners

As of October 2019 the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police is Reece Kershaw, formerly the Northern Territory Police Commissioner.

| Commissioner of Australian Federal Police |
| --- |
| **Incumbent Reece Kershaw** since 2 October 2019 |
| The Attorney-General's Department |
| Member of | Attorney General Portfolio Board |
| Reports to | Attorney General |
| Residence | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
| Seat | Edmund Barton Building |
| Nominator | Attorney General |
| Appointer | Governor-General |
| Term length | 7 years, renewable at the Governor-General's pleasure. |
| Constituting instrument | *Australian Federal Police Act 1979* |
| Precursor | Commissioner of the Commonwealth Police |
| Inaugural holder | Colin Woods |
| Formation | 1 August 1979 |
| Salary | A$720,480 |

| Rank | Name | Post-nominals | Term began | Term ended | Time in appointment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commissioner of the AFP |
| Commissioner | Sir Colin Woods | KCVO, CBE, QPM | 1 August 1979 | 1 January 1982 | 2 years, 74 days |
| Commissioner (Major General) | Ronald Grey | AO, DSO | 1 January 1982 | 30 November 1988 | 6 years, 334 days |
| Commissioner | Peter McAulay | AO, QPM | 30 November 1988 | 1 June 1994 | 5 years, 183 days |
| Commissioner | Michael Palmer | AO, APM | 1 June 1994 | 2 April 2001 | 6 years, 335 days |
| Commissioner | Mick Keelty | AO, APM | 2 April 2001 | 2 September 2009 | 8 years, 123 days |
| Commissioner | Tony Negus | APM | 7 September 2009 | 30 September 2014 | 5 years, 23 days |
| Commissioner | Andrew Colvin | APM, OAM | 30 September 2014 | 1 October 2019 | 5 years, 0 days |
| Commissioner | Reece Kershaw | APM | 2 October 2019 | *Incumbent* | 6 years, 260 days |

* Former Australian Federal Police Headquarters
* AFP vehicles in Melbourne
* An AFP vehicle on duty at Gold Coast Airport in Queensland

## Other websites

* Official website
* Specialist Protective Command
* Australian Federal Police Former Members Association Archived 29 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine
* Australian Federal Police Act 1979
* ACT Policing