Australia’s federal law enforcement agency is confronting a serious credibility challenge after misconduct allegations within the Australian Federal Police (AFP) almost tripled in just three years, according to figures revealed in an exclusive investigation.
Data shows alleged conduct issues rose sharply from 279 cases in 2021–22 to 763 cases in 2024–25, representing a 173 per cent increase. The most alarming rise has been in serious misconduct, known internally as Category 3 allegations, which surged from 93 to 473 cases over the same period.
The allegations span a wide range of serious behaviour, including links to drug trafficking networks, failed drug tests, conduct that endangered partners, and the misuse of seized cryptocurrency. One confirmed case involved an AFP employee who was found to have participated in a drug trafficking network while maintaining connections with multiple criminal entities. An AFP annual report noted the individual had failed to disclose their criminal history during recruitment and security vetting.
Despite the growing number of allegations, the data reveals a paradox: fewer cases are being formally established as breaches. In 2020–21, nearly one in three finalised allegations resulted in an established breach. By 2024–25, that figure had fallen to roughly one in five.
More than half of all finalised cases last year — 351 out of 639 — were closed under a discretionary mechanism known as Section 40TF, allowing matters to be discontinued without further investigation. This pathway can be used when action has already been taken, the allegation is deemed low value, or the incident occurred more than 12 months earlier. Even serious Category 3 allegations were frequently closed this way, with 159 of 307 cases discontinued under the provision.
Another significant shift is the source of complaints. In 2024–25, almost two-thirds of allegations were lodged by AFP members themselves, compared with previous years when the public was the primary complainant.
Australian Federal Police Association president Alex Caruana said the rise in internal reporting reflected a workforce more willing to hold itself accountable, arguing it was a sign of a maturing integrity culture rather than institutional decay.
In total, 124 breaches were established last year, resulting in 15 terminations across serious misconduct and corruption cases. An AFP spokesperson attributed the rise in allegations to changes in the AFP Integrity Framework, stressing that higher reporting levels do not necessarily indicate an increase in corruption itself.
Nevertheless, concerns remain that the widening gap between allegations and proven breaches risks undermining public confidence in Australia’s most powerful law enforcement body.
