The Australian Federal Police (AFP) are to recruit hundreds of female officers under a new strategy to help outsmart serious crime and bring offenders to justice.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw announced the launch of the AFP’s new recruitment website saying the sworn female workforce was aimed to be 30 per cent by 2028 and the website showcased successful female role models to inspire women and girls to consider a career in policing.
“The enhancement will ensure the AFP is more representative of the Australian community and help build greater diversity of thought and skills in the fight against terrorism, foreign interference; transnational serious organised crime, cyber and fraud; and child exploitation,” Commissioner Kershaw said.
“Diversity makes the AFP stronger and more successful,” he said.
“Different perspectives, different cultures and lived experiences are integral to a modern police agency.”
Commissioner Kershaw said the AFP already had a number of senior, experienced women inside its organisation as well as women coming through the ranks but it wanted and needed to do better.
“The AFP also wants to attract more people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including indigenous Australians,” he said.
“The benefit of diversity challenges the status quo, it helps with problem solving, especially during investigations.”
The Commissioner said sworn women currently comprised 22 per cent of the AFP, including police and Protective Service Officers, a two per cent increase since 2016.
He said recent AFP research revealed there was a misconception, particularly among women, that combating crime was primarily achieved with physical force.
“While some women viewed that as a barrier to pursuing a career with the AFP, not all women do. At the end of the day, we want to offer choices to our personnel,” he said.
The AFP’s new recruitment website can be accessed at this PS News link.
