Senior police, ministers and cross-border commissioners from NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT came together at NSW Parliament today for a full-day Cross-Border Policing Forum focused on improving cooperation and strengthening community safety across jurisdictions.
The forum explored how states and territories can better align day-to-day policing operations, streamline emergency management and respond to increasingly complex and fast-moving crime.
Participants discussed the practical challenges created by different laws, systems and processes, and identified opportunities to make cross-border policing smoother and more effective.
Throughout the morning and afternoon sessions, agencies shared intelligence and operational insights on organised crime, youth crime, information sharing, prisoner transport, mental health response, extradition processes and frontline coordination.
The forum also highlighted ongoing work to improve technology interoperability, including the mission[1]critical radio trial connecting NSW and Victoria.
A shared commitment emerged to strengthen real-time information exchange, improve support for officers working across borders and align emergency management systems so communities receive seamless responses regardless of jurisdiction.
Agencies will now progress agreed actions through established cross-border policing and emergency management channels, with further collaboration to continue in the months ahead.
Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:
"Borders shouldn't mean barriers when it comes to community safety.
"Our police do an excellent job at fighting crime and keeping communities safe but they can't do it alone. Today's forum is about making day-to-day operations smoother and safer across borders.
"The reality is people cross state borders every day and crime does too so we must ensure our systems keep up - that's exactly what this forum is about."
