Australian Commonwealth Police

Commonwealth Police refers, officially or informally, to federal law enforcement organisations in Australia between 1917 and 1979.

Commonwealth Police (1960–1979)
By the early 1950s the Commonwealth Investigation Service was run-down and largely ineffective. It had lost a lot of its quality staff to Australian Security Intelligence Organisation; resources were limited; and its role was in reality poorly defined. The Peace Officer Guard was in a similar position. In 1957 the Commonwealth Government acted to address the situation and passed the Commonwealth Police Act. This led, in 1960, to the formal merger of the CIS and the POG into the Commonwealth Police. Over the course of the next two decades the Commonwealth Police expanded its roles and capabilities. In addition to increasing the numbers of detectives (to investigate crimes such as money laundering, damage to and theft of Commonwealth property), the Commonwealth Police developed forensic, training and administrative services for the Commonwealth and to assist state police agencies.

In addition to providing physical security at many key government locations, the Commonwealth Police also took on a greater role in providing close personal protection to senior politicians and diplomats.

Ray Whitrod remained Commissioner of the Commonwealth Police until 1969. After Whitrod left in 1969 to head the Royal Papua & New Guinea Constabulary (as it was then known), Commissioner Jack Davis led the Commonwealth Police.

In early 1975 the then Labor Government moved to merge the Commonwealth Police with the other federally funded agencies, the Australian Capital Territory Police and Northern Territory Police. The new agency was to be called the Australia Police. Planning was well advanced when the proposal was abandoned in late 1975.

Following the 1978 terrorist bombing of the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, a review of Commonwealth law enforcement arrangements strongly urged the creation of a single federal police force. On 29 October 1979, the Commonwealth Police and ACT Police were merged to form the Australian Federal Police (AFP).