AFP Darwin: a United Front >
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Policing the Northern Territory Words: Rob Crispe, Marketing and Communications Comprising just one per cent of the Australian population are the residents of the Northern Territory, for whom there is no such thing as winter or big city noise. Contrasting world population data, there are more males than females in the Territory and the median age is just 30. However for the approximately 80 AFP members stationed in the NT, the uniqueness of the region does not end with its statistical facts. AFP Darwin: A united front h e AFP’s presence in Darwin is diverse and increasingly important to Australian law enforcement, security and defence. h e Darwin Offi ce — comprising personnel from the AFP and Northern Territory Police — is actively engaged Staff at Darwin Airport share the environment with all sorts of Australian fauna, including this in a variety of investigations and Northern Death Adder. operations spanning all crime types and Multicultural Aff airs, Customs, Darwin Offi ce Manager, Federal Agent including counter terrorism, fraud, Centrelink, Commonwealth DPP, Mick Calatzis, believes the cultivation of drug importation, organised people Australian Fisheries Management such cross-agency relationships is a key smuggling and protection. Authority, NT Police, Northern contributor in achieving success in the h e offi ce works closely with the Royal Command (NORCOMM), Australian region. h is includes strong links to the Australian Air Force, Royal Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, and AFP personnel at Darwin Airport, who Navy, Department of Immigration Coastwatch. operate under the direction of Airport > Platypus Magazine | Edition 92, September 2006 39 Below: Federal Agents David Perry, Sinead Done and David Williams. Above: Federal Agent Elizabeth Leigh with Darwin Offi ce mascot “Snappy”. handle here at Darwin Offi ce at any one time,” Federal Agent Calatzis said. “In one room we might be conducting a joint Intelligence meeting with key stakeholders, while in another we might be undertaking personnel recruitment and vetting, while in another we might be coordinating a key operational project comprising high level decision-making.” h e Darwin Offi ce is unique to other AFP agencies in Australia. First, it’s proximity to South-East Asia makes it a critical AFP post for providing fast response law enforcement and deployment capability to the region. Second, Darwin is a geographic ‘doorstop’ for travelling off enders in < both an aviation and maritime context. h ird, the harsh tropical monsoonal Police Commander, Superintendent Deployment Group with deployment weather tends to impact on deployment Peter Timson. activities,” he said. “h e strong team capability — not to mention conditions culture and versatility of staff members h e Darwin Offi ce collaborates on the ground. was very evident.” extensively with the airport, and Signifi cant projects being undertaken in provides capabilities for aero-medical h e offi ce also works hard at building the Darwin Offi ce include: evacuations, passenger assessment relationships with the local community. and interviewing, and criminal Earning people’s trust and appreciation ¹ Its fi rst internet gambling fraud case, investigations. is an important objective, particularly worth $19 million and resulting in in the AFP’s dealings with international an ongoing inquiry over the past 18 Federal Agent Calatzis cites the “can citizens such as the Timorese. months involving AFP Economic and do” attitude and strong work ethic of Special Operations. his staff as being critical ingredients in h e nature of the AFP’s work demands building eff ective working relationships. a high level of multi-skilling and ¹ Investigations into narcotics expertise from AFP members. As such, importation involving an Australian- “I arrived at Darwin Offi ce during the Darwin Offi ce is adaptable to respond based principal and off shore criminal recent Timor-Leste emergency, and I rapidly and competently to a range of syndicate. was immediately impressed with the situations. competency and professionalism of the ¹ Analysis into the impact of security offi ce in dealing with a range of issues, “Some might not be aware of the breaches at the Pine Gap defence particularly in assisting the International diversity and nature of the work we facility, which involved use of the 40 Platypus Magazine | Edition 92, September 2006 “In the case of Timor-Leste, we had to respond quickly and this airport security during the crisis, meant collaboration with other key agencies, using certain the AFP successfully assisted in the strategies and protocols that weren’t widely tested beforehand”. coordination and clearance of Timorese evacuees arriving in Darwin after the breakdown of law and order in Dili. Defence Specialist Undertakings As one of the 11 Counter Terrorism First “We work with many agencies across (DSU) legislation. Response airports, Darwin Airport is a our operations, including the RAAF, benefi ciary of the AFP’s recent Aviation ¹ Collaborative operations with Customs, and NT Police,” he said. Security implementations across the Navy and Customs to disable Australian airports. “In the case of Timor-Leste, we had organised people smuggling to respond quickly and this meant syndicates and counter terrorism Led by Superintendent Peter Timson, collaboration with other key agencies, related incidents involving mariners. counter terrorism fi rst response using certain strategies and protocols offi cers are responsible for maintaining ¹ h e provision of investigative that weren’t widely tested beforehand.” capabilities to the airport. security airside and in the surrounding environment. Similar to the Darwin Pacifi c Protector 2006, an air-ground ¹ Counter terrorism operations, Offi ce, the airport relies on forging interdiction testing exercise in Darwin, through Darwin Offi ce’s intelligence strong relationships with key agencies also involved close collaboration capability. in order to achieve its policing and between the AFP and key government protection roles. agencies. AFP personnel from the ¹ Assisting online child sex airport and Darwin Offi ce worked exploitation victims under the OCSET Superintendent Timson says these together in the international event initiative. relationships are largely built from which comprised a whole-of- In addition to the Darwin Offi ce, the operational collaboration, citing government approach to intelligence AFP plays a critical policing role at the recent Timor-Leste crisis as one sharing, lines of communication and Darwin Airport. example. Apart from maintaining tabletop discussions. > Policing the Darwin Airport is a team eff ort, with AFP airport and offi ce members working closely with RAAF staff . Platypus Magazine | Edition 92, September 2006 41 Members participated in ‘Pacifi c Protector 2006’, an air-ground interdiction testing exercise in Darwin. Japanese police in the front are pictured with AFP members, from left to right PSO Chris Peberdy, Federal Agents Mick Young and Skip Menhinnitt, and Superintendent Peter Timson. < Darwin’s strong military presence also enables the AFP to successfully collaborate with the Australian Defence Force on multiple fronts, including via its role in the biennial RAAF training initiative, Operation Pitch Black. Under this international operation, the AFP is providing tailored security and policing capabilities throughout the training exercises which have attracted military participation from h ailand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and France. In addition, the refi nement of has been undertaken by the AFP thus In addition to its role in large-scale, contingency and emergency plans far. collaborative and multi-agency around the harsh weather conditions is “I’m very proud of our achievements at operations, the airport also assumes another challenge that will impact on Darwin Airport, particularly in relation various community policing the AFP’s quality of response. to the recent Timor-Leste crisis. “Our responsibilities in and around the Despite the challenges ahead, people showed a huge commitment airport perimeter. A unique aspect of Superintendent Timson is optimistic for and went well above and beyond the this involves the monitoring of itinerant the future thanks to the great work that call of duty.” Indigenous locals who reside on areas of the airport land. Other unique situations Darwin Airport h e snake whisperer personnel may assist with include Darwin’s PSO Chris Peberdy has been emergency aircraft landings due to a snake catcher for six years. medical emergencies or mechanical “On average, I catch 1500 snakes a problems, and the lending of assistance year from all over the Darwin area”. and support to Emergency Services In keeping with Chris’ affi nity for agencies in the event of a crisis. reptiles, three-year-old croc “Snappy”, A signifi cant challenge facing the left, lives in Chris’ back yard and has become the Darwin Offi ce mascot. airport is the ongoing development and Snappy is not Chris’ only lodger — “I improvement of work roles between keep over 150 snakes and some of the AFP and its partner agencies, them are highly venomous,” he said. particularly the NT Police, Customs, DIMA and Australian Quarantine and Superintendent Peter Timson said Chris is an enthusiastic member of Inspection Service, and the Royal Aviation Darwin and has assisted Australian Airforce. h is will ensure the several times with acquainting visitors AFP continues to respond quickly and with some of the “locals”. eff ectively in emergency situations. 42 Platypus Magazine | Edition 92, September 2006