Even with boost for national security teams, AFP still 'immensely' short staffed: union

It follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's announcement of a national firearms buyback scheme on Friday, along with funding for Australian Federal Police's (AFP) national security investigations teams, and Operation Avalite which targets anti-Semitism.

"In addition to [the national buyback scheme], we will also boost the AFP and the work they're doing through Operation Avalite," the Prime Minister said.

"We will provide extra funds to provide the national security investigation teams. Those teams disrupt high-harm, high-impact, politically motivated violence, communal violence, and hate crimes," he added.

It comes after The Australian reported AFP's counter-terrorism unit, which includes national security investigations teams, was short of 100 people.

"The ratio is something like, for every person - and they're not all sworn police doing it - in those teams, they're responsible for 20, 30 people on the watch list," a senior AFP officer had said.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett at Friday's press conference said there were 161 continuing Avalite investigations and 10 people had been charged.

"This is just unbelievable. As a country we should really reflect on those statistics," she said.

The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) appreciated the additional funding for the dedicated teams, saying it would enable a better response to national security challenges and support recruitment, training and technology.

However, the union still had "serious concerns" about overall agency staffing levels and welfare support provided to appointees.

"Chronic shortages and increasing workloads are placing unsustainable pressure on our members," AFPA president Alex Caruana said.

"We have long advocated for sustainable resourcing to match the demands placed on federal policing, including comprehensive measures to address mental health, fatigue, and retention," he said.

"[Friday's] announcement is a positive step forward, but more needs to be done to ensure the long-term health and capability of the AFP workforce."

The government is yet to disclose the exact amount of additional funding national security investigations teams will receive.

Speaking to The Canberra Times, Mr Caruana said the agency as a whole was "immensely" short-staffed, including its internal investigations unit and its community policing wing in Canberra.

This masthead asked the AFP which areas were operating below required staffing levels, and an AFP spokesman noted that the agency was dealing with significant operational priorities this week.

" ... which means we have to triage requests that require us to divert operational and operational support people from their normal jobs to obtain statistics," the AFP spokesman said.

ACT Policing in June had a headcount of 1037 employees, including 767 sworn officers. A spokeswoman said 49 sworn officers had joined the force since then.

However, the union said between 250 and 300 more sworn members were needed in Canberra.

"We're about 300 [sworn] members short in the ACT," Mr Caruana said.

He said the Minister for Police, Dr Marisa Paterson, had committed 100 new sworn members before 2027 but it was "probably a third of what we need to happen as soon as possible".

Minister Paterson has since told this masthead 100 members have not been promised in the next 12 months.

She said the 2023-24 budget committed $107 million to recruit 126 additional police personnel over five years and to upgrade critical operational equipment.

The ACT government then committed to increasing that number to 150 officers "which represents the largest single investment ever made into ACT Policing", the minister said.

Across the border, NSW Police which employs more than 20,000 people, including upwards of 16,000 sworn officers, is also facing shortages. It is Australia's biggest police force and is more than twice the size of the AFP which employs a little more than 8000 staff.

In September, Ian Leavers, president of the Police Federation of Australia said the country was facing a police shortage "crisis".

"It is a real challenge, not only recruiting but in the retention of police across Australia," he said. "We are putting the police officers who are left at risk. And we are putting the community at risk."

"Every part of the AFP is suffering ... internal investigations isn't immune from it," Mr Caruana said.

The AFPA claimed at least two sexual harassment complaints from AFP staff had been suspended, creating a "serious psychosocial hazard" as the agency's Professional Standards (PRS) internal investigation caseload piled on.

"We feel for the complainant but also for the person that's under the investigation now," Mr Caruana said.

According to the AFP's annual report PRS received 763 complaints and finalised 639 "conduct breaches" in the 2024-2025 financial year.

An AFP spokesman confirmed the finalised cases included complaints made before the 2024-2025 period, and said PRS does not report on current case numbers.

The spokesman said cases were prioritised based on operational requirements and some investigations could be suspended for a variety of reasons "including witness availability, welfare considerations or pending external processes".

"PRS is a priority area for the AFP, with staffing levels regularly reviewed and mitigations put in place to address job demands," the spokesman said.

"PRS investigators undertake complex and challenging investigations, requiring highly-experienced members to be engaged in this unit."

PRS' active caseload includes a recent incident where officers looking for an alleged offender incorrectly arrested an Aboriginal teenager at gunpoint in Canberra - a case that may be prioritised given the commentary and political interest, Mr Caruana said.