|
|
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|||||
| United powers By CPL Andrew Hetherington and Cristy Symington Edition 4907, May 3, 2007 |
|||||
The unit was officially launched on April 2, and has been formed using the investigative elements of the Naval Police, Army Military Police and Air Force Security Police. Provost Marshall ADF, COL Tim Grutzner, said the unit was formed after the 2005 Defence Investigative Capability Audit (DICA). “There were 99 recommendations made in the audit and one of them was to form a joint investigation unit,” he said. “The other 98 recommendations were about improving the processes of investigations, so we will be able to do more investigations, respond quicker, but, most importantly, we will also be fixing the training, the policy, the technology and the equipment the investigators use.” COL Grutzner said the primary role of ADFIS will be to assist the CDF and the Service Chiefs to maintain ADF discipline through the lawful, ethical and effective investigation of Service offences. “Only the serious and complex and major offences will come to ADFIS for investigation,” he said. There are 142 personnel in the unit and they are based in 27 locations across Australia and overseas, working in joint investigation offices. He said the number of office locations could change in 12 months. “The guidance at the moment from the CDF is that we form the unit with what we have out there now and after 12 months of operation we will review it and see if we need to change the structure,” he said. “We might reduce the number of joint investigation offices down to, say 15, but we are still working on the exact figures.” COL Grutzner said with the formation of the unit, the professionalism of the ADFs investigative capability will be raised. “The outcomes will be better response, more effective investigations and better service to commanders,” he said. SGT Sean O’Dowd from ADFIS at RAAF Base Richmond attended the first ADFIS conference, held recently in Canberra. “This is a change that needs to be made, not just for the sake of change,” SGT O’Dowd said. “It will take a lot to get going, but then it will be excellent. It’s good to finally be in a stream where I know what I’ll be doing. We haven’t had time in the past for much training, so the new unit will make a huge difference in capabilities. “One of the hardest things to do is develop a good reputation with local police, so I think the idea of secondment is excellent.” Much work remains over several months to fully stand up the unit and develop the wider ADF Service Police capability, which includes minor criminal investigations and garrison policing. “Developing these capabilities will be critical to the ultimate effectiveness of ADFIS,” COL Grutzner said. “ADFIS represents a significant new direction for policing in the ADF.” For commanders and Service Police it will be a time of considerable change as the new arrangements, aimed at enhancing the timeliness, transparency, fairness and rigour of ADF investigations, are introduced. For more information, visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/militaryjustice |
