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ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ¯ ÃÂ¯ ÃÂ / ÃÂ¤  M I N I S T E R  F O R  A D M I N I S T R A T I V E  S E R V I C E S

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Â· - M I N I S T E R  A S S I S T I N G  T H E  M I N I S T E R  F O R  D E F E N C E  .

F0R TH-E NEWS, MONDAY, i4AY 7, 19 79 '  .  -  .  Â·  /

The Commonwealth Police Officer that you see at airports, at .

some Federal Offices and sometimes working with State Police '

is part of.an organisation with some of the most interesting

jobs in Australia. Â·  .

The Commonwealth Police Force, or Compol, is active in most '  Ã¢ÂÂ   .

areas of police work, including the gun-slinging popularly

associated with America's Federal law enforcement agencies.

The difference in Australia is that the sharp shooting, when .

it occurs, is conducted at a much lower key,- the recent

attempted highjack of an airliner in Sydney being an excellent

example of the quiet efficiency employed. .  -

- '  . .  Ã¢ÂÂ   Â·  .  "  ;  '

This was also an example of the co-operation between a State .

force and a Federal force with members from both, forces operating

.  with a N.S.W. officer as leader.

Since Australia's second attempted airliner highjack, Compol

has continued to make news because of moves to create the

Australian Federal Police, to operate from July 1. The new

body-will combine Compol and the Australian Capital Territory

Police Force. "  ^

. .  The range of duties performed by Compol is interesting in itself

but, for its officers, their careers have the added spice of

internationalism. Â·

- - */2

Many Compel officers, from Constable to Commissioner, work Â·  Â· .

around the world, from Christmas Island to Cyprus, from

Interpol in Paris to Mew Scotland Yard, London, and anywhere

else where they are needed. .  .

No other Australian police force requires some of its officers

to regularly accompany VIP's abroad, accompany criminals on

extradition anywhere', or conduct normal police investigations

on a global scale. Ã¢ÂÂ   -  .  '  Â·  .

Much of Compol's work is unique among Australian police forces

because of its concern with Federal laxA breaking, which has

meant the arrest of a man for allegedly obtaining more than .

* *Â· .  , Â·  Ã¢ÂÂ   ' Â·  .  .  Â·

$21,000 in unemployment benefits over two years. In this

instance Compol's detectives managed to recover more than $8,000.

While-the taxpayer benefitted in that particular unemployment

benefit fraud, those of us with savings in the Commonwealth

Bank were, protected when Compol actually recovered more than

$19,000 apparently manipulated by two men from the Commonxvealth

Savings Bank. '  Ã¢ÂÂ

In a different kind of tax matter, Compol detectives found

someone who xvas said to have divulged information from taxation

files. Â·Â·.- / Â· . .  - '

Most of us will also be relieved to know that our Federal Police

detected an Australia Post fraud in xvhich an employee apparently

hid nearly $4,000.from banking transactions.

. . /3

And now it is no surprise for us to know that Compol has Â·  ;

aetected a medical practitioner w h o , it is claimed, persuaded

hisÂ· patients to sign about 500 claim forms for medical

dervices they never received. .

While these cases form much of the daily work.of Compol’s

Ã¢ÂÂ¢1,800 or so officers, they represent only aÂ·fraction of the

force's overall activities. -

Specialist services include a neutron activation analysis ’

section at the Australian Atomic Energy Commission's Research

Establishment at Lucas Heights. Â·

The neutron section conducts arsenic-in-hair analyses,

comparisons of human bones in murder enquiries and gives

expert court testimony for a number of State police forces.

The Australian Crime Intelligence Centre collects, evaluates

and disseminates crime intelligence on drugs, organised crime

and terrorism. '  _  -

Other specialist activities are the Australian Bomb Data

Centre, involving recovery of stolen commercial and military.

explosives, the Currency Squad, and the Central Firearms

Testing Bureau which, amonc other things, checks and ensures  y /  x  .  Ã¢ÂÂ

the mechanical and structural safety of all firearms for use

by the public. ^

The Bureau's library would be a violent criminal's paradise

with an array of. sword canes,  sword guns and other prohibited

weapons, including firearms, which are maintained in good

working order for ballistic comparison purposes. .

All these activities are the end result of what began in 1919

as the Commonwealth Investigation Branch to which was added

a Peace Officer Guard in 1925, followed in 1960 by the -

establishment of the Commonwealth Police Force.

During less than 20 years Compol has been 3_argely a behind-

the-scenes force of skilled, well disciplined officers whose

work is regularly commended or recognised by awards. Promotion

is on merit.

Now Compol and the highly professional A.C.T. Police are about

to form the basis of the Australian Federal Police, giving

Australia a new status in the international fight to maintain

public order and security.

