This section provides an introduction to the ACIC and the ACIC Board, explains the role of this report, and presents the Chair’s review of ACIC achievements in 2024–25.
About the ACIC
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is Australia’s national criminal intelligence agency. Its purpose is to protect Australia from serious criminal threats by collecting, assessing and disseminating intelligence and policing information.
The ACIC has 2 distinct roles:
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to collect, analyse and communicate intelligence relating to serious and organised crime impacting Australia, including where it has a transnational dimension
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to ensure that there are systems and services that enable criminal intelligence and policing information to be shared across jurisdictions, including the provision of nationally coordinated criminal history checks.
The ACIC’s legislative framework is established by the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 (ACC Act). Section 7A of the ACC Act defines the ACIC’s core functions, which are underpinned by supporting legislation in each state and territory. The ACC Act provides the ACIC with intelligence-gathering and investigative powers and enables the use of specialised tools. The Act also assigns the ACIC’s key roles in delivering and enhancing criminal intelligence, national policing information services, and nationally coordinated criminal history checks.
From 1 July 2024 to 12 May 2025, the ACIC was part of the Attorney-General’s portfolio and reported to the Attorney-General. The agency moved to the Home Affairs portfolio on 13 May 2025 and now reports to the Minister for Home Affairs.
About the ACIC Board
The ACIC Board is established under section 7B of the ACC Act and has a range of functions as set out in section 7C of the Act. The functions include:
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providing strategic direction and determining the ACIC’s priorities
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determining national criminal intelligence priorities
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authorising special ACIC investigations and special ACIC operations, which allows the use of the ACIC’s coercive powers
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making recommendations about charges for national policing information services, including criminal history checks
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determining priorities in relation to national policing information systems and services, and providing recommendations to the minister for investment to improve, maintain and expand those systems and services
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reporting to the Inter-Governmental Committee on the ACIC’s performance.
Members and observers
The board is chaired by the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, and comprises the heads of each Commonwealth, state and territory police force and a number of national security and regulatory agencies, as set out in section 7B(2) of the ACC Act.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ACIC is a non-voting member of the board. The CEO of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre attends board meetings as a non-voting observer.
Meetings and matters considered
The board considers a range of issues at each meeting, including current and emerging strategic priorities, performance against responsibilities, progress of national policing information systems projects, and the status of the National Policing Information Systems and Services Special Account (Special Account).
The board met 3 times in 2024–25, and:
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approved access to the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database (NCIDD) and NCIDD Integrated Forensic Analysis tool for the Office of the Director of Forensic Science Queensland
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approved a request from the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia to access protection order information held in the National Police Reference System Court Portal
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received updates on the independent review of the ACIC
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approved changes to the ACIC Board Charter of Governance in response to a recommendation made by the Commonwealth Ombudsman
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approved the extension of Task Force Reston, to continue the sharing of criminal information and intelligence in support of the ACIC-led Fraud Fusion Taskforce Intelligence Program. Eight agencies were added as participants in the task force.
Subcommittee
The board’s National Policing Systems Subcommittee is responsible for considering national policing information systems and Special Account matters and making recommendations to the board for endorsement.
The subcommittee met twice in 2024–25. It discussed and received updates from the ACIC on Special Account revenue, and on the:
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National Firearms Register Program
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National Criminal Intelligence System Program
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National Police Checking Service Modernisation Program
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National Police Checking Service Secondary Clearing
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National Policing Information (NPI) Capability Roadmap and NPI Dashboard
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Law Enforcement Information Services Capability Committee and Technology Capability Committee.
About the annual report
The annual report by the Chair of the ACIC Board fulfils the reporting requirements set out in section 61 of the ACC Act. It is presented to the Minister for Home Affairs and the appropriate minister of each state and territory via the Inter‑Governmental Committee established under section 8 of the ACC Act.
A separate annual report by the CEO of the ACIC fulfils the reporting requirements set out under section 46 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013. It documents progress against the ACIC’s purpose and performance criteria, provides information on management and accountability, and includes audited financial statements.
Both reports are available on the ACIC website.
This Chair annual report addresses the requirements of section 61 of the ACC Act as shown in Table 1.1.
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Information required under section 61(2) |
Location in this report |
|
|---|---|---|
| (a) |
a description of any special ACC investigations undertaken during the year |
Section 3: Special ACIC operations |
| (b) |
a description, which may include statistics, of any patterns or trends, and the nature and scope, of any criminal activity that have come to the attention of the ACC during that year in performance of its functions |
Section 2: Australia’s criminal environment Section 3: Special ACIC operations |
| (c) |
any recommendations for changes in the laws of the Commonwealth, of a participating State or of a Territory, or for administrative action, that, as a result of the performance of the ACC’s functions, the Board considers should be made |
Section 5: Legislative framework and legal actions |
| (d) |
the general nature and the extent of any information furnished by the CEO during that year to a law enforcement agency |
Section 3: Special ACIC operations Section 4: Systems and services |
| (da) |
the general nature and the extent of any information disclosed by the CEO during that year to a body corporate under section 59AB |
Section 3: Special ACIC operations
|
| (e) |
the extent to which investigations by the ACC have resulted in the prosecution in that year of persons for offences |
Section 5: Legislative framework and legal actions |
| (ea) |
the extent to which investigations by the ACC have resulted in confiscation proceedings |
Section 5: Legislative framework and legal actions |
| (g) |
particulars of the number and results of: (ii) applications made to the Federal Court or the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) under the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 for orders of review in respect of matters arising under this Act; and (iii) other court proceedings involving the ACC; being applications and proceedings that were determined, or otherwise disposed of, during that year |
Section 5: Legislative framework and legal actions |
Chair’s review
In 2024–25, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) continued to play a vital role in strengthening Australia’s collective response to serious and organised crime. The ACIC supported more than 72,000 frontline officers nationwide, providing the intelligence, information and systems needed to detect, disrupt and prevent criminal activity.
Remaining agile and strategically positioned, the ACIC leveraged strong domestic and international partnerships to provide intelligence and expertise critical to hardening Australia’s defences against criminal exploitation.
Through the delivery of vital policing systems, thousands of intelligence products and millions of background checks, the ACIC continues to make a direct and measurable contribution to operational effectiveness and community safety across Australia.
The ACIC also advanced the implementation of recommendations from the Independent Review of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and associated Commonwealth law enforcement arrangements, which set out a blueprint to strengthen the agency’s ability to combat the significant threat posed by serious and organised crime.
Criminal intelligence
The ACIC delivers crucial insights into the highest-level criminal threats impacting Australia. In 2024–25, the agency utilised collection capabilities to uncover new information relating to special ACIC operations, and produced 2,002 unique intelligence products, which were disseminated 12,500 times to 291 national or international partners. The agency also produced and published reports 22 and 23 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.
Beyond intelligence gathering, the ACIC plays a critical role in bringing law enforcement partners together to build operational strategies and coordinate disruption activities. These collaborative efforts contributed to the disruption of criminal entities, leading to the seizure of drugs and precursor chemicals with an estimated street value of $58.4 million and cash and assets with an estimated value of $7.32 million.
National policing information systems and services
The ACIC manages a portfolio of 12 national policing information systems, which are crucial tools for partners working to prevent, detect and reduce crime across Australia.
The operational value of the systems is clear. In 2024–25, they directly helped police to solve crimes by enabling more than 405,300 positive fingerprint data matches, approximately 2 million DNA profiles, and 64 positive crime scene ballistics data matches.
The National Criminal Intelligence System (NCIS) is the core system for providing secure, nationwide access to critical criminal intelligence and information for law enforcement and other partners. This connectivity delivers a truly national picture of crime, directly enhancing agency capabilities and contributing to a safer Australia.
During 2024–25, the ACIC continued to add NCIS datasets, capabilities and system integrations. As at 30 June 2025, information shared through NCIS integrated with 21 local police systems nationally and was actively used by more than 52,000 officers in frontline operations. NCIS is trusted to provide a national view of criminal intelligence and information, enhancing officer and community safety.
National Police Checking Service
The ACIC’s National Police Checking Service plays a critical role in community safety by delivering timely and accurate information to inform decisions on employment and other entitlements. The sheer volume of this work is significant: during 2024–25, the service processed more than 7.26 million nationally coordinated criminal history checks.
Looking ahead
In 2024–25, I observed the ACIC navigating a year of change and consolidation with focus and purpose. I extend my thanks to Reece Kershaw APM, former Australian Federal Police Commissioner, who held the position of Chair of the ACIC Board in that period.
Since my appointment as Chair in October 2025, the ACIC has continued to strengthen its position as Australia’s national criminal intelligence agency – attuned to the increasing complexity of the threat environment, and driven by the need for unique, actionable and insightful intelligence.
The ACIC is not merely responding to a more complex criminal landscape. Under the board’s oversight, the agency’s stewardship of national policing information systems and secure sharing of information continue to be critical to the safety of our communities.
As we look ahead, the board remains committed to supporting the evolution of the ACIC and ensuring that the agency has the capability, partnerships and direction needed to deliver intelligence that protects Australia’s national interests, safeguards our institutions, and strengthens our collective resilience.
Krissy Barrett APM
Chair
Board of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission