AUKUS Command
Assistant Commissioner Sandra Booth began her policing career with the Australian Federal Police in 2000. Sandra has diverse experience in criminal investigations having worked in a broad range of operational areas including Sandra worked as the Senior Liaison Officer in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she worked closely with the Indonesian National Police on terrorism, narcotics, people smuggling and child protection operations. Her offshore experience also includes a deployment to Timor-Leste and two deployments to the Solomon Islands.
Sandra has managed AFP strategic responsibilities within Whole-of-Government strategic frameworks, delivering suites of AFP operational capabilities that mitigate the ever-present and enduring risks from specific threat entities.
Sandra was promoted to the AFP Executive in January 2019, as Commander Counter Terrorism within the Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Command where she had responsibility for the Joint Counter Terrorism Teams within Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. In this role, Sandra was responsible for operational oversight of highly sensitive terrorism investigations, as well as strategic oversight and management of relationships with partner agencies.
In May 2020, Sandra assumed the role of Commander Counter Terrorism – Enduring Risk Investigations (ERI). In ERI, Sandra’s principal role was to manage AFP efforts aimed at preventing and disrupting violent extremism from High-Risk Terrorist Offenders, and other at-risk individuals known to law enforcement, across the entire violent extremist life cycle.
In April 2023, Sandra assumed the position of Commander Foundational Development and Learning with responsibility for the development of the AFP’s newest members and future leaders. In her position, Sandra was instrumental in commencing the renewal program for the Learning and Development command including leading projects on organisational resilience and intergenerational difference.
In July 2024, Sandra was promoted to Assistant Commissioner leading the newly established AFP AUKUS Command. The AUKUS command leads the AFP’s strategy and delivery of the AFP security overlay in support of the AUKUS initiative with the Department of Defence. The AUKUS command also has strategic responsibility for delivery of protective security services to Defence establishments under the Defence Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and will focus on building and supporting a future-ready Protective Service Officer (PSO) workforce.
Sandra is passionate about supporting Women in leadership roles. She is the Australian Chair for the Women in National Security programme, which is designed to research, identify and discuss leadership opportunities, along with the challenges that impact on recruitment, retention and development of women working in national security roles.