page_title: Law enforcement in Australia
hierarchical_section_title: Law enforcement in Australia
caption_attribution_description: Police Conversation
context_page_description: Law enforcement in Australia is one of the three major components of the country's justice system, along with courts and corrections. Law enforcement officers are employed by all three levels of government – federal, state/territory, and local.
  Federally, the main law enforcement agency is the Australian Federal Police, which has a wide mandate to enforce Australian criminal law and protect its national interests. There are also a number of other agencies that have powers confined to specific areas, such as national security, customs and immigration, and white-collar crime. Each branch of the Australian Defence Force has its own military police, although there is also an overarching ADF Investigative Service for more complex investigations.
  As each Australian state enacts its laws, general law enforcement duties are the responsibility of state police forces, who are in turn responsible to a government minister. These forces carry out the bulk of general policing throughout the entire state, including in metropolitan areas. Other state-government departments may also have investigative powers for specific offences within their purview.
context_section_description: Law enforcement in Australia is one of the three major components of the country's justice system, along with courts and corrections. Law enforcement officers are employed by all three levels of government – federal, state/territory, and local.
  Federally, the main law enforcement agency is the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which has a wide mandate to enforce Australian criminal law and protect its national interests. There are also a number of other agencies that have powers confined to specific areas, such as national security (ASIO), customs and immigration (ABF), and white-collar crime (ATO, ACCC, ASIC). Each branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has its own military police, although there is also an overarching ADF Investigative Service for more complex investigations.
  As each Australian state enacts its laws, general law enforcement duties are the responsibility of state police forces, who are in turn responsible to a government minister (usually the Minister for Police). These forces carry out the bulk of general policing throughout the entire state, including in metropolitan areas. Other state-government departments may also have investigative powers for specific offences within their purview. The Northern Territory also has its police force, but in Australia's other territories (including the Australian Capital Territory) law enforcement is handled by the federal government.
  Australian state and federal police routinely carry firearms. While on duty, most officers' duty belts consist of a handgun, Taser, expandable baton, pepper spray, a set of handcuffs, ammunition magazines, gloves, torch, and a two-way radio. Local governments have their own smaller force of authorised officers – known as council rangers – to enforce local laws pertaining solely to individual local government jurisdictions. Council rangers generally do not have full police powers (unless they are sworn as special constables).
caption: South Australia Police officers
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