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Australian Federal Police - Platypus Journal/Magazine |
Policing on Christmas Island
No holiday but offers an enriching experience
By Justine Adamek
Federal Agent Justine Adamek went to Christmas Island in September 1998 to assist with crime scene examinations in a murder investigation.
The following is her account of the island's lifestyle and opportunities.
A Christmas Island posting tends to evoke images of a holiday destination complete with tropical climate and great fishing. In reality, policing on the island requires courage, maturity, the ability to cope with feelings of isolation, and endurance in meeting new job demands.
But while island life is not suited to everyone, the experiences to be gained by those posted there compensate for any shortcomings or disadvantages.
The AFP and its predecessor the Commonwealth Police, have been part of the Christmas Island Police Force since the island became an Australian territory in 1958. The AFP assumed direct responsibility for policing the Indian Ocean territories in 1991.
The island is administered by an administrator appointed by Australia's Governor-General. The AFP enforces Commonwealth law including the Western Australian Criminal Code as applied and its associated laws such as the Western Australian Motor Traffic Act.
Policing on the island is as diverse as it is interesting. General policing duties are not unlike those in the Australian Capital Territory. They include traffic operations and detailed investigations of criminal acts.
The following descriptions give an overview of some of the duties carried out by the island's police.
By agreement between the administrator and the Minister for Justice, the AFP undertakes a range of regulatory services including providing customs services and the motor registry.
Whether landing on the island by boat or plane, visitors and returning locals are met by a team of AFP members and special members performing customs and immigration duties.
It is their responsibility to monitor incoming and outgoing planes, boats and ships, and to check incoming and outgoing passengers and baggage.
The police superintendent is the island's registrar. Police conduct all the duties normally attributed to the Department of Motor Registry, including vehicle inspection, registration and driver's licence testing (from cars to heavy vehicles).
Rescue operations, disaster victim identification and counter-disaster operations are organised through the police with the assistance of other applicable agencies on the island.
Most members undertake basic forensic (crime scene) training before their transfer to become familiar with developing and lifting fingerprints, and recording victims and scenes photographically. When the casino was open, fingerprint checks for casino employees were taken at the police station.
Patrols are conducted daily, especially during the rainy season from December to April, to monitor hazardous spills, rock falls, and general road safety conditions. Phosphate dust and rain on the bitumen roads make driving extremely dangerous, especially down the steep main road from Drumsite to Settlement.
Local police host visiting classes of school children, as well as maintaining a police presence at most community events (both on-and off-duty) such as sporting events, Anzac Day celebrations, and blue light discos.
People in custody awaiting trial, or sentenced to terms of imprisonment, are supervised on a 24-hour basis by police. Other duties include visitor supervision and prisoner transport to the mainland. There are two fully renovated cells at the rear of the police station that comply with recommendations from the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody inquiry.
The Territory of Christmas Island — a 135km2 rocky outcrop of coral, phosphate and jungle — rises out of the Indian Ocean, closer to Indonesia than Australia.
The location of the island was first recorded by British and Dutch navigators in the early 17th Century. The name was bestowed upon the Island by Captain William Mynors of the East India Shipping Company when he sailed into its waters on December 25, 1643.
The first recorded landing on the island was the British ship Cygnet in 1688. Under the control of Captain William Dampier, the crew landed on the west coast of the island in an area known as The Dales, finding no indigenous population.
A form of permanent settlement was not created until 1895. The Clunies Ross brothers, who later relocated to the nearby Cocos (Keeling) Islands, established a settlement at Flying Fish Cove. The main reason behind this settlement was to provide timber supplies for the flatter and more habitable Cocos Island.
The British Admiralty annexed the island on June 6, 1888, after recommendations from a naturalist, Dr John Murray, after whom the highest peak on the island is named.The only lasting industry to emerge from Christmas Island was phosphate mining. The British Government granted two men — John Murray and George Ross — a joint 99-year lease in 1891. The two men formed the Christmas Island Phosphate Company in 1897.
The workforce needed to operate the mining was imported in 1899 and consisted of 200 Chinese labourers, eight European managers and five Sikh police officers. Mining continued until World War II. Disruption occurred during World War II when Japan invaded.
They claimed occupation between 1942 and 1945. About 900 Japanese troops landed on the island and tried to take over the phosphate mining activities.
Local miners fled to the jungles and rocky caves throughout the island. Most were found and forced back to the mines, or transported to prison camps in Indonesia.
Evidence of the Chinese hiding out in the cave systems, including that of crude rock drawings and discarded food cans can still be found, however access to these areas is restricted.
From 1945 to 1957, Christmas Island was governed under the jurisdiction of the colony of Singapore. During this time, the mining was taken over by the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission, a joint authority of the Australian and New Zealand Governments. Mining expansion occurred between 1949 and 1958, and incorporated a further employment drive from Cocos Island, Malaysia and Singapore. These new mine workers brought their families to the island and marked the first wave of permanent population.
English is the official language of the island, although most of the population have Indonesian, Malaysian and Chinese heritage. There are a wide range of languages and customs associated with this cultural mix, and as a result, the island celebrates many annual festivals and holidays to accommodate the local cultures. A variety of religions are practised including Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Muslim and Baha'i.
The Australian Government bought the island from the Singapore Government for G2.9 million in 1957. Transfer from a British to an Australian colony was completed on October 1, 1958, celebrated each year as Territory Day.
During the 1970s, there were conflicts about the mining interest and conservation on the island. Between 1974 and 1980, various changes in the name of conservation occurred, culminating in the appointment of a conservationist from National Parks and Wildlife and the designation of Egeria Point as a national park.
About 65 per cent of Christmas Island is now national park. The mine was closed in 1987, and re-opened privately in 1990 under strict environmental controls, in particular the preservation of rainforest areas. There is a flora regeneration program and a nursery on the island devoted to the re-vegetation of mined areas.
The island offers a plethora of natural wonders, including the famous annual red crab migration, and the nesting of native birds. There are exotic marine species existing in the local waters, and lush jungles waiting to be explored.
Saturday nights offer outdoor movies, and local cuisine is available at several eateries in the settled areas. Reading and exercise are also catered for with a local library and gymnasium.
The major benefit of an island posting is the complete difference in community lifestyle. Island life offers a mostly uncomplicated and safe community for children and adults. Gone are many of the concerns about ‘stranger-danger' and worrying about where the children are at every minute of the day. Cross-cultural awareness occurs naturally at schools with a mix of races and cultures in class. Tolerance receives wide acceptance. The intimate nature of the community has the tendency to provide a more positive, relaxed and close working relationship between the police and the public.
The crime rate is relatively low compared with the capital cities. It was hard to believe and get used to the fact that just about everyone leaves their house unlocked and the car keys in the ignition with the windows down while away from their vehicle.
There are, of course, some negative aspects of a Territorial posting to Christmas Island, the main one being the isolation. Some people are not suited to the complete change in conditions, where others experience the transition with few troubles.
There are no daily flights to and from the island, and airfares are expensive. Many outposted members come from the east coast of Australia, and all at some stage feel the separation from family and friends ‘back home'.
Another condition of isolation is a lack of variety in groceries and other items usually taken for granted. Local newsagents don't have daily papers on the same day they are published — newspapers are usually several days late, and cost more. It's a treat for members to receive an east coast newspaper in the post, despite it being an average of one week late.
Consumables are delivered fairly regularly from the mainland, but there is little or no availability of fresh dairy or delicatessen products. Get used to processed foods!
There is one small market gardener on the island who produces some seasonal fruit, and a poultry farmer responsible for the island's egg production. However, all groceries come with a high price tag. One head of broccoli can set you back $5, while bringing a simple garden salad to a BBQ may cost upwards of $15!
Accommodation is also difficult to arrange for medium or long-term visitors. Until recently, the Christmas Island Resort and Casino complex offered high-priced accommodation. This complex, opened in 1993, collapsed financially and was closed several years later. However there are several bed and breakfasts leased on a short-term basis.
The weather is completely different to most areas in Australia policed by AFP members. Humidity is high for most of the year, and exceptionally so during the wet season. The salt air is pervasive and rust is the most common form of corrosion. Nothing is spared — vehicles, bicycles, refrigerators and plumbing fittings — just about anything containing metal.
The small island community affords little anonymity for those in high profile positions, including police. Cultural differences can give rise to misunderstandings and spread ill-feeling across sections of the community. With the continual interaction between community members, discretion and cultural sensitivity are two of the most important aspects of Territory policing.
Despite difficulties, the opportunity to meet the island's challenges ensures policing there is always an interesting and educational experience.
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URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUFPPlatypus/1999/2.html