New ACT Policing Chief Police Officer
Phillip Williams - ABC 666 Interview with Chief Police Officer Audrey Fagan
Monday 4 July 2005
Phillip Williams: And you're with Phillip Williams on triple six, sitting in for Louise Maher. Well as of today the ACT has a new Chief Police Officer. Audrey Fagan has become the first woman in the post after replacing John Davies. She began her career here on the beat at Civic Police Station 24 years ago and she's agreed to her first full interview in her new role with us right now - congratulations. Tell me what you did on your first day?
Audrey Fagan: Good afternoon Phillip and thank you very much for those kind words. Today started very excitingly actually. We had a recruit course in which we welcomed new members into the AFP and as they progress through, they'll actually be serving here in the ACT, so it was quite pleasing on my first day that I could welcome a group of new recruits.
Phillip Williams: It's been an enormous change for you no doubt and you've been with the force for a very long time. Of course the politicians always demand better crime statistics from the police, so is this your priority?
Audrey Fagan: The priority is around crime statistics. That's a good measure of how we serve both the government and the community. We have 37 key performance indicators here in ACT Policing which we manage to meet very well and continue to strive to do that, and I think that in turn gives the community confidence which is really very much about partnerships and ensuring that we police the Territory to the best of our abilities.
Phillip Williams: As part of that, Crime Stoppers has been heavily promoted. How good in your view is that program?
Audrey Fagan: Crime Stoppers is absolutely invaluable. And today we reached a significant milestone with $15 million worth of drugs seized and that's drugs of all types that have now been stopped from reaching the streets of Canberra and reaching our young people particularly. It would be interesting for your listeners to know that we've had 12 500 calls into Crime Stoppers leading to 640 arrests over the last eight and a half years. And I'd like to thank the Canberra public for that sort of effort.
Phillip Williams: Are you going to in any way expand that program?
Audrey Fagan: We continue to work through the Crime Stoppers board and Dr Jenny Fleming is the Chair Person. I would like to encourage as many people as possible to ring in with any piece of information because it can often add to, build on, or create a lead for us that we will vigorously look at.
Phillip Williams: First day and here you are caught in this political sandwich between the ACT, the Federal Government and the Chinese Government over Stephie Zhang. This is the tragic story of the murder of Canberra student Stephie Zhang. The Chinese are demanding all the information that you have, be sent to them so they can prosecute the person they believe committed this crime; of course you'd rather have that person come back to Australia and face police interrogation and possible court action here, but that's not going to be the case. How are you going to resolve this mess?
Audrey Fagan: Currently there's a raft of discussions under way about the provision of evidence gathered during investigation by ACT Policing and how we may provide that to the People's Republic of China's Ministry of Public Security. It's subject to a range of discussions between the ACT Government and the Australian Government, as well as various departments including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Attorney-General's Department and the AFP. Those discussions need to take place and given they're ongoing, I think in my position it's inappropriate really to speculate further.
Phillip Williams: So you're steering very clear of this one?
Audrey Fagan: Well it's a Government to Government dialogue that is occurring now and that's quite clearly articulated. I think it has been outlined quite well in the media and you know the dialogue has got to continue - that's the priority.
Phillip Williams: Well you've had a lot of experience in counter terrorism and those sorts of security areas. We'd like to think that that experience wouldn't be terribly relevant to Canberra but it is, isn't it? How's that going to reflect in your new job?
Audrey Fagan: Counter-terrorism is obviously one of the front of mind priorities along with keeping the safety of the community up in the forefront. I think we must recognise Canberra's unique role and recognise the Australian Federal Police's unique role where we've got a community living in a joint life under Federal Parliament. We continue to exercise as a police force; we've got terrific capacities here in Canberra with ACT Policing, and then we look into other counter-terrorism responses there are the joint counter-terrorism teams within all State and Territory police, and then out into our international network. So I feel quite confident that we'll continue to build our skills and be ready in the event of anything that may occur in that respect.
Phillip Williams: Of course we've had a nasty taste of that recently with the Indonesian Embassy and the regular occurrences at Parliament House. It was fortunately nothing nasty but potentially so. Is this sort of thing going to get worse do you think, or is this a blip on that particular front?
Audrey Fagan: I think all agencies are very vigilant about what intelligence we can get and sharing that, and being quite proactive. The Jakarta bombing really was a terrible thing as was the Bali bombing. The AFP with its national, international and ACT resources stands ready to support and fight those crimes and investigate them appropriately.
Phillip Williams: Tell us a bit about yourself because you're not a household name, not yet, but you surely will be. Where were you raised and how and why did you become a copper?
Audrey Fagan: I grew up in South Australia, after my family came out from Ireland when I was nine- or 10-years-old. I think the notion of serving the community was fairly strong as I went through high school and I think I was either going to be a police officer or a teacher, so I don't know what we would read into that but I've loved everyday in the AFP and the experiences I've had both here in Canberra, nationally and the time on Christmas Island in community policing there. And I just feel very fortunate to be able to do a full circle in some respects and come and work in the ACT again; it's very rewarding.
Phillip Williams: You've given us a feel for what it's like in your first day in the top job; what was your first day like do you remember when you first walked in to Civic Police Station?
Audrey Fagan: I won't give away age or anything quite like that but I was relatively young in those days and it was a feeling of wearing a uniform, being visible, and understanding what responsibility the community's placed in you as you get your sworn powers. One of the things that's very strong in my mind was particular senior constables and sergeants who were there ready to help and I think that that camaraderie that runs through policing is very strong.
Phillip Williams: There have always been accusations along over the years of entrenched sexism. Clearly you've managed to smash through -- if there was a glass ceiling, you've smashed it - but are there residual effects there, and if so how do you plan to combat them?
Audrey Fagan: I think you know about the 80s and times when we had smaller numbers of women. The AFP has up around 35 per cent of women today and a variety of diversity in indigenous groups, the various networks of support. Our values hold us in good stead and I think if people can model that way, it's a simple way to make sure that discrimination is not tolerated and it's certainly not in our organisation.
Phillip Williams: Audrey Fagan thank you very much, look forward to talking to you in the future…have a wonderful time in the job, enjoy the day and speak to you soon.
Audrey Fagan: Thank you very much Phillip and look forward to talking to your listeners again in the future.
Phillip Williams: The new ACT Chief Police Officer Audrey Fagan in her first day on the job and very excited to be in that chair.
Ends//