The timing might have been better.
As thousands of Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers prepare to take protected but as yet undisclosed industrial action over being handcuffed to the Australian Public Service Commission’s heavily criticised wages policy, the nation’s top cop shop has launched its annual recruitment campaign.
Yep, it’s that time of the year when you get to dry clean the tunic, polish the buttons and pose for the marketing shots, all while grinning through gritted teeth about why people with guns are wearing industrial action merch asking for a fair cop on pay.
This year there’s a distinct focus on following the money, and attracting talent that would otherwise go to banks, the Big Four or worst of all the Australian Taxation Office.
Take Stefan (first name only, if it’s actually his along with the picture) who’s down as a national manager of Criminal Assets Confiscation who probably gets almost as many Lamborghinis delivered a year as the local importer, except to the police valuer general.
Got any questions about crypto wallets and whether their worth the punt? Stef likely has a position on that, although it’s probably classified.
Still, he’s up for the candid conversations.
“What challenges do you believe the AFP will face going forward?” the AFP’s recruitment inquisitor rhetorically probes.
“Staying a step ahead of the criminal environment and outsmarting criminals will always be an ongoing challenge, but one that we are capable of meeting,” Stefan replies.
“In a challenging operational and fiscal environment for all organisations, public or private, I see many of our challenges as opportunities. How do we better innovate, collaborate, harness the totality of our information holdings as well as those of our partners? In these areas, there will always be untapped riches and opportunities to deliver even better outcomes for our community and nation.”
Untapped riches? Now there’s a nice little hand signal to Treasury about the logistical fact that illicit gains don’t just hand themselves over automatically to general revenue and need to be shepherded towards the relevant authorities.
Remember, this is a man who spends his working day figuring out how to grab as much of someone else’s illegal money as legally as possible, whether it’s in a roof cavity, safety deposit box, Ethereum or just plain good-old-fashioned gold bullion.
“In my current role, I am tremendously proud and appreciative of the investigators, litigators, forensic accountants and partner agency colleagues who work in the CACT. The CACT restrains hundreds of millions of dollars each year in criminal assets,” Stefan says.
“I continue to marvel at the team’s ability to deliver results, their commitment and their tenacity. I do worry about them though and only sleep a little easier when I know they are ok.”
For those keen on statistical fine dining, forensic accountants are again in demand (so, when aren’t they?) and the AFP is hungry for numerical pathologists who can break down the secret sauce of slowly cooked books.
Without getting into the moral rights of tradecraft, there’s a nice appetiser called the “Lateral Program” that allows state officers to get their skillsets benchmarked and accredited with the AFP. It helps with task forces and it helps with recruitment.
“Kenny was a chartered accountant who needed a new challenge. He tried his hand at state policing in Victoria, which he found to be rewarding work. So he took his career a step further by joining our Lateral Program — a pathway for current or recently serving state or territory police officers,” the AFP says.
“Now as a respected Senior Constable in the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT), Kenny’s job is to find and analyse information that helps remove the profit from crime and prevent its reinvestment in further criminal enterprise.
“There are often scenarios where someone’s cultural experiences or second language can enhance the analysis of information. This could be someone’s keen interest in a football code, a sound understanding of the way different cultures communicate, or simply reading messages in a different language.”
Just don’t mention the pay.
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