Jackson, Steve --- "Security measures aid the Games' success" [2000] AUFPPlatypus 27; (2000) 69 Platypus: Journal of the Australian Federal Police, Article 5

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Security measures aid the Games’ success

By Federal Agent Steve Jackson, AFP Olympic Coordinator

Throughout the Games period, the AFP was involved in the conduct of investigations into allegations of breaches of Commonwealth law; the provision of close personal protection to visiting dignitaries; community policing in the Australian Capital Territory.

ACT Policing got an early taste of the demands that being an Olympic host city would make on its resources when the Olympic Torch relay came to town during September 5-7.

There is no doubt that the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games have been the most successful Games ever — there were many contributing factors to this success, not the least being the contribution made by the AFP.

The role of the Commonwealth generally and the AFP in particular, in reality, was largely that of a small but quality player working, in large part, behind the scenes. Having said that, however, it is important to reflect on several key facts having a direct influence on the AFP.

While overall responsibility for security of the Olympic Games rested with the NSW Police Service, the AFP made a significant contribution to the success of the Games.

The Games' success was a direct result of the proactive and preventive measures developed and implemented by the NSW Police Service, AFP and other members of the Australian law enforcement community.

Throughout the Games period, the AFP was involved in the conduct of investigations into allegations of breaches of Commonwealth law; the provision of close personal protection to visiting dignitaries; community policing in the Australian Capital Territory; the provision of a timely and effective interface, on behalf of all Australian police services, with overseas law enforcement agencies through the AFP's overseas liaison officer network; and the provision of extensive human resource support to the NSW Police Service.

In relation to dignitary protection, the AFP seconded close personal protection officers to the NSW Police Service Dignitary and Athlete Protection Unit (DAPU). The number of seconded officers represented a significant proportion of the DAPU's total operational strength.

The AFP was a significant contributor to Australia's maintenance of its national security through the efforts of its Protective Security function, coordinated by the AFP's Protective Security Olympic Coordination Centre in Canberra.

During the Games period, the AFP had approximately 450 members dedicated to Olympic duties.

I was often asked “..what was the greatest challenge..?” The answer to a question like this is very much a function of the workload we faced. Given the quiet operational environment during the Games, the challenge we faced in many areas was to remain focused on the job at hand during the period. We faced a challenge dealing with a period of inactivity between the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. While we recognised that for many of us the impact of the Paralympic Games was not as significant as that presented by the Olympic Games, it was necessary for us to recognise that our job was not over until after our Paralympic Games commitments were complete. Indeed, for some, even as this edition of Platypus went to print, there were residual issues to deal with such as debriefs, decommissioning activities and the preparation of post action reports.

While some may argue that it is unfair to single out a particular functional area of the AFP for mention, it would be remiss of me not to mention the great work done by the AFP's close personal protection teams. In the absence of significant Olympic related investigative activity undertaken by the AFP during the Games period, our close personal protection function became our major area of focus. Both the Commissioner and I have received direct feedback from principals receiving dignitary protection advising us that the teams did an excellent job performing their role in a quiet and highly professional manner.

While the AFP's close personal protection function was a major focus of operational activity during the Games, there was much behind-the-scenes work carried out which made the final outcome all that much more professional. Members staffed coordination centres, they provided support services, they formed contingents deployed to NSW POLICE operational areas, they prepared and disseminated daily reports and they went about their normal work so that those with Olympic duties could focus on theirs. For these people, indeed everyone in the AFP, the outcome of the Games is one you can all be truly proud of and one to which you can rightly claim to have made a contribution.

We must also congratulate the NSW Police Service for an outstanding security operation.

The AFP's contribution to that effort was marked by NSW Police Precinct Commanders speaking consistently about the quality of AFP members and the seamless team approach that they displayed to their duties during their period of attachment to their Precincts.

In the final analysis and post Games exuberance, there is a tendency to forget that there were competition events held outside NSW – the Olympic Torch Relay, in fact seems like a distant memory. The AFP's role in relation to these events and the running of the Torch Relay was also significant. Widespread praise has been received for the way in which the AFP conducted security arrangements for the Torch Relay within the Australian Capital Territory, for the AFP members who participated in the Torch Relay motorcycle security escort around the nation and for the Olympic Football events which were staged at Bruce Stadium in Canberra. The AFP's mission for the Games was to ensure that the AFP had the ability to support the integrity of the Sydney 2000 Games by providing a Commonwealth and ACT law enforcement and protective security capability – the AFP achieved its mission.

Strategically, the AFP was well placed to cope with the demands of the Games. By working with other agencies and sharing each other's special areas of expertise, we have all returned to the Australian community and the world at large a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games.