Survey reveals a shocking lack of trust in the Australian Federal Police leadership
Almost half of Australian Federal Police officers have lost faith in their leadership, a secret survey has revealed. See results.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The nation’s top cops have lost the faith and trust of almost half of the police force who participated in a large-scale staff survey.
It has also been revealed that only 61 per cent of the workforce who took part in that review believed the leadership of the Australian Federal Police operated with integrity.
And almost 70 per cent had either negative or neutral opinions as to whether recruitment and promotion decisions were based on merit.
The shocking results of the AFP 2021 staff survey had been kept under public wraps until recently when the AFP were asked to produce the results in Senate Estimates.
The survey which is now being undertaken every year provides a snapshot of how the AFP sworn and unsworn staff believe the agency is operating.
Almost 5000 staff – 67 per cent of the police force — took part and its release comes as the AFP undertakes one of its biggest-ever reshuffles of senior executive staff around the country.
The Australian Federal Police Association President, Alex Caruana, said the results are concerning and policing requires strong leadership and also leadership with integrity.
“It also requires the workforce to have faith and trust in the leadership. For a workforce to only have 55 per cent faith in their leadership is concerning. The results obtained require a deeper analysis to determine precisely why the workforce feels like that …”
Federal Greens Senator and Justice Spokesman, David Shoebridge, who pushed for the results to be made public, said it is a harsh critique of the senior leadership and the way in which the AFP works.
“It is no wonder the AFP didn’t voluntarily publish this survey and we had to squeeze it out of them through budget estimates,” said Senator Shoebridge.
“Hidden in the survey is a really troubling fact that only a quarter of the staff surveyed thought recruitment and promotion at the AFP was based on merit.
“No organisation can work effectively with these kinds of results.”
But Senator Shoebridge said the lack of trust in the leadership was contrasted with a strong level of support for lower level direct supervisors who were consistently ranked as supportive and encouraging.
“It’s almost as though the lower you are in the AFP the more common enemies you have above to struggle against.”
Senate Estimates was told the 2021 staff survey revealed 17 per cent of the workplace said they were rewarded for being innovative and just 20 per cent of survey participants are positive about the AFP’s administrative processes.
Mr Caruana said technology within the AFP has always been problematic.
“For example, the PROMIS database is over 25 years old and needs to be retired. The AFP has been allocated tens of millions of dollars over the years by the Government to address the issue and has never been able to come up with a solution,” he said.
“We would encourage the Government to invest in technology for the AFP. Crimes, especially cybercrimes, are becoming more complex, and the AFP needs the best technology to fight this …” Mr Caruana said.
“The budget is tight within the AFP, and Government mechanisms like the efficiency dividend bite into the budget. Unfortunately, funding for technology and resources is often one of the first things to be cut by the organisation. This plays into the hands of criminals and gives them the upper hand …”
Commissioner Reece Kershaw told Estimates on Monday night he agreed there are some aspects of the survey that are concerning and they need to be working on them.
He said the AFP is looking at improving processes and services and is adopting a new system called the Investigative Management System (IMS) which is underway.
Mr Kershaw also said police like to have a calculated risk model and there are some cultural issues that need to be dealt with.
He said the AFP has a robust internal affairs unit and people get “nervous” about risk taking.
The AFP Chief Operating Officer, Charlotte Tresslor, said the 2022 survey results which had just been publicly released last week had seen some “modest improvements”.
The release of the survey comes as the AFP has announced internally that nine Assistant Commissioners have been moved around the country and another four have been newly appointed in a massive reshuffle.
The survey found 69 per cent of participants have either negative (42 per cent) or neutral (27 per cent) opinions regarding fair recruitment and promotion decisions based on merit.
It also revealed that almost 50 per cent of those who responded had two to three supervisors in the past year and 23 per cent reported having four or more supervisors.
FAST FACTS 2021 AFP STAFF SURVEY
- 55% of survey participants have faith in the leadership
- 61% of survey participants think that AFP leadership operates with integrity
- 31% of survey participants are positive about the technology within the AFP
- 20% of survey participants are positive about the AFP’s administrative processes
- 63% of survey participants have either negative (36%) or neutral (27%) opinions regarding higher duties transparency
- 69% of survey participants have either negative (42%) or neutral (27%) opinions regarding fair recruitment and promotion decisions based on merit.
Last hope for Australia’s longest cold case
A final effort to find the remains of the missing Beaumont children will begin today, almost 60 years after their disappearance.
Shock Higgins texts that sent man to jail
Vile texts threatening to “bury” Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz, and “chop up” their dog Kingston can be revealed in full for the first time.