Embarrassment has not affected plans to build a force of 5000 to 6000 officers to enforce immigration and customs laws, officials said.
Where previously public servants of the Immigration Department had to rely on police departments for enforcement of immigration law, the ABF is tasked with conducting enforcement itself, including armed raids.
While the ABF does not have general jurisdiction in the community and can only act in partnership with state or territory police, it can participate in armed raids, whereas previously immigration officials had to stand back and watch passively.
The old Customs and Border Protection Service had some enforcement powers and access to guns, but officials said that the new agency would be much more muscular than its two parent agencies combined.
After a 12-month transition, all ABF staff will be expected to pass fitness tests, and most staff will be classified as "use of force" officers, with powers to restrain and handcuff people and to defend themselves, officials said.
And of those, most eventually will be given firearms training, and armed depending on job function. For instance, ABF officers working in the areas of counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, marine patrol and bikie gang operations would carry guns.
The net effect would be that about twice as many weapons-trained officers would work in the ABF as in the previously separate departments of Immigration and Customs combined, a senior official said.
ABF officers working in community safety operations such as the aborted Friday exercise would not be armed, the official said.
Opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles has asked that the Auditor-General examine the training and powers of ABF officers after Friday's incident.
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Where previously public servants of the Immigration Department had to rely on police departments for enforcement of immigration law, the ABF is tasked with conducting enforcement itself, including armed raids.
While the ABF does not have general jurisdiction in the community and can only act in partnership with state or territory police, it can participate in armed raids, whereas previously immigration officials had to stand back and watch passively.
The old Customs and Border Protection Service had some enforcement powers and access to guns, but officials said that the new agency would be much more muscular than its two parent agencies combined.
After a 12-month transition, all ABF staff will be expected to pass fitness tests, and most staff will be classified as "use of force" officers, with powers to restrain and handcuff people and to defend themselves, officials said.
And of those, most eventually will be given firearms training, and armed depending on job function. For instance, ABF officers working in the areas of counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, marine patrol and bikie gang operations would carry guns.
The net effect would be that about twice as many weapons-trained officers would work in the ABF as in the previously separate departments of Immigration and Customs combined, a senior official said.
ABF officers working in community safety operations such as the aborted Friday exercise would not be armed, the official said.
Opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles has asked that the Auditor-General examine the training and powers of ABF officers after Friday's incident.
Read more:
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