Senior law enforcement officers from across the country came together on 5-7 July 2022 to discuss critical aspects of the Australian and New Zealand child protection landscape.
The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) played host to the third National Covert Online, Victim Identification and Operation Griffin Working Groups for the year.
Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Jane Welsh chairs Operation Griffin and spoke about the benefits of law enforcement coming together to tackle this borderless crime.
“It gives us an opportunity to come together and speak about the experiences we have. We exchange information and exchange ideas about how to innovate while managing this crime type.
“The ability to build collaboration across the country means that the level of service to the community is so much better,” Detective Superintendent Welch said.
Operation Griffin is the primary source of advice to the Serious and Organised Crime Coordination Committee on all matters relating to online child protection. Operation Griffin address victim-based crime, investigating the exploitation and abuse of children nationally and internationally with a direct impact on Australia and New Zealand.
Operation Griffin works in partnership with the ACCCE and is supported by several working level groups comprising of members from State and Territory police jurisdictions and Commonwealth agencies.
During the week, subject matter experts from Australia and New Zealand met in person and virtually at the ACCCE for both the National Covert Online and Victim Identification Working Groups. The outcomes of which were shared in the overarching Operation Griffin Working Group on Thursday (7 July).
Operation Griffin members received updates on the Child Protection National Strategy, the Australian Victim Identification (AVID) project, Operational outcomes and trends and discussed plans for National Child Protection Week in September.
The next Operation Griffin Working Group is due to take place in Perth, Western Australia in October 2022.