The audio industry has grown exponentially over the past few years with podcasts becoming increasingly popular. To capitalise on this trend and reach a new audience of potential recruits the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has launched a new podcast series that takes listeners behind the scenes of some of the country’s deepest investigations.

The six-part Crime Interrupted series has been created by Host/Havas in partnership with the AFP and leading Australian podcast Casefile. The podcast gives listeners insider info on some of the AFP’s most complex investigations featuring interviews with the officers responsible for cracking the cases and insight into the techniques used to unravel the crimes.

The podcast is supported by a 30-second trailer for the first episode, created in partnership with the Emmy Award-winning director of the True Detective main title sequence, Patrick Clair.

Host/Havas developed the series as a compelling alternative to standard police recruitment ads to engage the next generation of officers for the AFP, with a focus on women, people from diverse backgrounds, and First Nations people.

“When it came to recruiting for the AFP, we didn’t need to hyperbolise or dramatise. The most compelling reasons were obvious with every case story we heard from their officers.” explained Host/Havas ECD Jon Austin, “They were smart, hard-hitting and, at times, confronting - and they all showed exactly why we need the AFP (and the next generation of recruits) to be a step ahead.”

As the AFP continues to undergo major digital transformation, the organisation hopes to use the medium of podcast to drive recruitment and connect with audiences in a more meaningful way. In just a week after launch, the podcast already charted as the second most listened to podcast in Australia on Spotify and Apple and the number one Crime podcast.

“Just as the series explores the tactics and diverse techniques our officers use in their investigations, our podcast series created with Host/Havas takes an unexpected approach to recruitment.” added Marina Simoncini, Manager Culture & Communications branch at the Australian Federal Police, “The six hours of content will not only intrigue and entertain, but it will show potential recruits—people who may not have previously considered a career with the AFP—what they can expect.”

To listen to the podcast please click here.