Training Command - Queensland Police Service - Queensland ...

issue no. 363 october 2011 

Education and 

Training Command 

Police 

BULLETIN 

—leading QPS into 

the future

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FROM COMMISSIONER ATKINSON 

Evolving through 

Education and Training 

This edition of the Police 

Bulletin features the 


Command (ETC). 

Whilst training and education 

have always been an essential 

and ongoing part of the 

Service, it has until recently 

been a part of the Human 

Resources Division. 

In our organisational structure 

the ETC remains properly 

within the Corporate Services 

stream, reporting to the 

Deputy Chief Executive, 

Resource Management Mr 

Paul Brown. 

The ETC will continue to 

work closely with the Human 

Resources Division as their 

roles are closely interwoven. 

Former Chief Superintendent 

of the Southern Region, Tony 

Wright is the first Assistant 

Commissioner for the new 

ETC. His senior team includes 

Chief Superintendent Allan 

McCarthy, Ann Motteram and 

Superintendents Paul Lostroh 

and currently Mark Plath who 

is moving to head up the 

Strategic Performance Branch. 

One of the reasons for 

creating the ETC was the 

work associated with the 

establishment of our new 

Academy. 

It is currently planned to open 

in 2014. This is also our 150th 

year (sesqui-centenary) as an 

organisation. 

The new Academy (Westgate) 

at Wacol is well positioned 

to enable future growth and 

accommodate our needs. 

More significantly though it 

will be our symbolic home. 

It is my hope and belief that 

the new Academy will, unlike 

its predecessors the Police 

Barracks at Petrie Terrace 

and the Oxley Academy, be 

permanent and be there for 

all time—that many years from 

now it will have a tradition 

similar to other permanent 

facilities such as Duntroon at 

Canberra and West Point and 

the FBI Academy in the USA. 

Queensland is the only police 

jurisdiction that I am aware 

of that has two academies. 

The Townsville campus of the 

QPS Academy has served us 

well for many years. It enables 

people who live in central 

and north Queensland to 

train and then work in the 

three related police regions— 

Central, Northern and Far 

Northern. It also reflects the 

fact that we are one of the 

largest Police Departments 

in the English speaking 

western world, with one of the 

largest geographically and 

decentralised areas. 

Our job, regardless of the role 

we have, is becoming more 

complex and difficult. The 

expectations and demands 

on us increase with each 

year and given the world we 

live in, there is a degree of 

inevitability that comes with 

this. We should welcome 

that our Government and 

community look to us as an 

organisation who provides 

safety, security and support; 

and who works in partnership 

to solve problems and deals 

with issues in a timely, sound 

and effective way. 

We will only match those 

challenges and expectations 

if a number of key things 

exist. They include our ethical 

values, our commitment, 

our professionalism, our 

skill and knowledge, our 

training, and career-long self 

development. The ETC and 

members in training roles 

across Queensland have a 

fundamental and essential 

role in this, but the QPS 

as a whole shares equal 

responsibility. 

PoliceBulletin363 3

Executive Editor 

Matthew Rigby 

Editor 

Paula Hedemann and Emilee Woolcock 

Editorial Assistant 

Hayley-Clare Story 

Statement of purpose 

Police Bulletin is a free bi-annual public 

information document intended to provide 

a record of initiatives and achievements, 

an insight into the operations of the 

Queensland Police Service, and base 

research to interested members of the 

community. Each edition is available 

from police stations, district and regional 

offices, and Police Headquarters, 

Brisbane. 

Front cover 

Photo by Sergeant Clint Hanson 

Photography 

Unless otherwise indicated 

photographs throughout this publication 

were provided through the associated 

branch or unit, or taken by QPS 

Photographics Section or the Media 

and Public Affairs Branch. 

Media and Public Affairs Branch 

Police Headquarters 

GPO Box 1440 

Brisbane Qld 4001 

Telephone: 07 3364 6256 

Facsimile: 07 3364 6268 

Layout and design: 

Wendy James 

Graphic Designer 

Graphic Design Services 

Advertising contact details: 

Martyn Hewett 

0422 523 583 

© State of Queensland 

(Queensland Police Service) 2011 

Licence 

Police Bulletin by Media and Public Affairs 

Branch, Queensland Police Service, is 

licensed under a Creative Commons 

Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. 

Please note: Where indicated, copyright 

of individual images remains the property 

of the photographer and/or organisation 

identified, and is not covered by this 

Creative Commons Attribution. 

The information contained in this publication 

was true and correct at the time it went to print. 

4 

PoliceBulletin363

C O N T E N T S 

Message from Commissioner Atkinson. ........................... 3 

Message from Deputy Commissioner Barnett ...................... 6 

Message from the Minister. ..................................... 7 

Education and Training Command–an academy for the 

real police officer. ............................................. 8 

PROVEing ability. ............................................ 10 

Justice Entry Program–the making of leaders. .................... 12 

Policing Skills Program teaches thought before action. . . . . . . . . . . 14-17 

Shaping futures with Northern education. ....................... 19 

Driver training skills run in family. .............................. 20 

First Year Constable program–from recruit to officer . ............. 22 

Facing the challenge of major events through the 

Incident Command Development Unit. .......................... 24 

Detective training on the cutting edge of investigative policing ..... 27 

Earning your stripes .......................................... 28 

Creating leaders who make a difference. ......................... 31 

Senior leaders step-up ........................................ 33 

Staff members benefit from training opportunities. ............... 35 

Education and Training Support Program–the driving force 

behind training innovation .................................... 36 

Westgate Academy, the future hub of police training. ............. 39 

A D V E R T I S E R S ’ I N D E X 

Statewide Novated Leasing ......................................... 2 

QInvest. ........................................................ 18 

Queensland Police Credit Union. .................................... 26 

Smartsalary ..................................................... 30 

Lexus. .......................................................... 32 

QPCU. .......................................................... 34 

Fleet Network. ................................................... 39 

Queensland Police Credit Union. .................................... 40 


FROM DEPUTY COMMISSIONER barnett (specialist operations) 

Information management 

to reduce road trauma 

I-TAS 

Implementation 

The I-TAS Project commenced 

in a staged roll out to all 

regions in June 2011. It is now 

reaching its conclusion, with 

the final region (Northern 

Region) trained in September 

2011. All I-TAS Project related 

activities are scheduled to be 

completed and handed over 

for Operational management 

as at 30 September 2011. 

The I-TAS Project has 

provided Operational Traffic 

Police with an integrated, 

traffic-related intelligencebased 

application that 

will allow better asset 

management and deployment 

of resources. It provides a 

replacement for the legacy 

state-wide Traffic Returns 

and Complaints System 

(TRACS) and Random Road 

Watch Program. It also draws 

information from various local 

databases to ensure that 

the information used by all 

operational officers is from the 

‘source of truth’, improving 

data integrity, quality 

reporting and enhanced 

analytical capabilities. 

I-TAS contains a rich mapping 

component which can be 

used by supervisors and 

Officers in Charge to visually 

display current trends in 

crashes and proactive 

enforcement activities relating 

to their organisational unit. 

It also interfaces with traffic 

related applications such 

as TSRS and TINMS so that 

speed camera and ticket 

enforcement activities can 

be easily reviewed on a daily 

basis. 

The Queensland Police 

Service plays an integral role 

in the regulation and control 

of traffic within Queensland 

with the overall aim of 

reducing the incidence of 

road trauma. 

The costs of road trauma to 

the Queensland community is 

in excess of $1 billion per year. 

Combined with a significant 

projected population growth 

in Queensland, it is expected 

that licence holders will 

reach 3.1 million by 2011. 

The demands to maintain 

advanced traffic policing 

services over approximately 

175,000km of public roads are 

ever increasing. 

I know that once officers 

become familiar with the 

I-TAS application their own 

ingenuity and skills will allow 

full utilisation of the I-TAS 

system. This will allow us to 

reduce road trauma through 

the delivery of improved 

information management 

which supports more accurate 

and timely decision making. 

CHOGM 

The next Commonwealth 

Heads of Government 

Meeting (CHOGM) will 

be held in Perth, Western 

Australia in October 2011. 

As a result of a request 

from the Western Australia 

Government and Police, the 

QPS will deploy 125 members 

to CHOGM, ranging from 

general duties police to 

specialist police including 

close personal protection 

staff, intelligence officers, 

specialist response staff and 

media and public affairs 

officers. 

These officers will be involved 

in a range of functions 

including venue security, traffic 

duties, media support, close 

personal protection duties 

and specialist response. 

The deployment of these 

specialist officers provides 

for an excellent opportunity 

to develop and exercise our 

interoperability with other 

States and Territories, and 

for the Queensland Police to 

further enhance our capability 

for dealing with major events. 

Support is also being 

provided to Western Australia 

in various forms from all States 

and Territories to ensure this 

important event is successful. 

The Queensland contingent 

will be supported by an 

appropriate command 

structure lead by a 

contingent commander who 

is a Superintendent from 

within Operations Support 

Command. Additionally 

Assistant Commissioner 

Pointing, Operations Support 

Command will be attending 

Western Australia during the 

actual meeting dates as the 

overall Commander of the 

contingent and in an observer 

capacity for the event. 

I am confident that all 

members attending will 

continue to enhance the 

professional reputation of 

the Service during their 

deployment. 

6 


FROM NEIL ROBERTS MP 

MINISTER FOR POLICE, CORRECTIVE SERVICES AND EMERGENCY SERVICES 

Upholding QPS standards 

through education and 

training 

The career of a police officer 

is one of honour, integrity, 

and professionalism, which 

requires a remarkable 

commitment to public service 

and dedication to upholding 

law and justice at all times. 

As a necessary part of 

making sure officers are best 

placed to fight crime in our 

communities, the Queensland 

Police Service’s commitment 

to training and education of 

its officers and civilian support 

teams are second to none. 

Officers have proven 

themselves physically, 

emotionally and intellectually 

qualified for the demands 

of being a police officer, 

completing one of the 

most rigorous selection 

processes for any occupation 

in the country—quite an 

accomplishment in itself. And 

although our officers would 

not currently be serving if 

they did not meet the high 

standards demanded of them, 

the QPS has a responsibility 

to play an important role in 

continuous improvement. 

The QPS has recognised 

this in the appointment of 


Tony Wright APM to head up 

the Service’s Education and 

Training Command. 


Wright has had a long history 

with the QPS, as well as time 

with federal law enforcement 

agencies and brings a wealth 

of experience and knowledge 

to the position. 

For the Government’s 

part, we have committed 

significant resources towards 

the education and training 

of officers, most notably in 

recent years to the Westgate 

Academy project. 

The Westgate Academy will 

be a world-class facility in 

every aspect and will deliver 

a full-range of education and 

training programs for trainee 

and operational police. 

I joined with Police 

Commissioner Bob Atkinson 

last year to officially open the 

driver training component of 

this facility and the remainder 

is expected to be fully 

completed in the 2014/15 

financial year. 

Other facilities still to be 

completed include special 

operations training, two 

indoor firearms ranges, a 

scenario village, a simulation 

training facility and fresh 

water training facility. It is 

expected that over 1000 QPS 

employees will work from the 

Westgate Academy, as well 

having the capability to train 

around 700-1000 recruits each 

year. 

The contribution made by 

police to the daily lives of 

Queenslanders cannot be 

underestimated, and the 

work undertaken to help keep 

Queensland a safe place 

to live and work ultimately 

enhances the quality of living 

for all in the State. 

The QPS is constantly working 

to implement improved 

training and education 

regimes and upgrades 

facilities wherever possible. 

This is an important part of 

ensuring we are best placed 

to respond to the evolving law 

enforcement demands placed 

on us well into the future. 



Command—an academy 

for the real police officer 


Command Assistant 

Commissioner Tony Wright 

first walked the grounds 

of the Queensland Police 

Service (QPS) Academy at 

Oxley 31 years ago when 

he was a recruit in 1979. He 

never imagined he would one 

day be involved in shaping 

the future direction of police 

education and training. 


Wright previously served 

as District Officer for 

Toowoomba, then 

Operations Coordinator for 

Southern Region, before his 

appointment as Assistant 

Commissioner in late 2010 

to the newly established 


Command. The command 

includes both the Townsville 

Police Academy and the 

Oxley Academy, which is 

transitioning to the Westgate 

Academy at Wacol. 


Wright said he had embraced 

his new position and had a 

strong vision for the future of 

the QPS Academy. 

“I have experienced a steep 

learning curve in my first eight 

months, having stepped into 

an education and training 

environment after operational 

policing roles,” Assistant 

Commissioner Wright said. 

“But I have a good 

team, including Chief 

Superintendent Allan 

McCarthy, who understands 

the driving force behind 

the Education and Training 

Command—that is to 

produce knowledgeable and 

skilled police officers 

and staff members to 

serve the Queensland 

community.” 

Photo by Sergeant Clint Hanson, Police Photographic Section 

All recruits go through the 

Police Recruit Operational 

Vocational Education 

(PROVE) program and 

spend 30 weeks at the 

academy before being 

assigned to a policing 

region for 12 months to 

complete their training as 

a first year constable. 

“We are about to 

commence a trial at the 

start of next year aimed 

at reducing the time 

frame that recruits need 

to be at the academy 

to 22 weeks,” Assistant 

Commissioner Wright 

said. 

Assistant Commissioner Tony Wright, with the support of Chief Superintendant Allan McCarthy, Education and Training Command, 

ensure that all officers and staff of the QPS are provided with the right educational grounding and support. 

“The trial will commence 

at our Townsville 

Academy and be 

benchmarked against the 

intake at Oxley.” 

8 


The PROVE curriculum 

has also undergone a readjustment 

with a focus on 

recruit assessment enhancing 

their skills and aligning to 

their job description. 

“The majority of jobs first 

year constables attend are 

traffic crashes, stealing, break 

and enters and domestic 

violence offences, and 

operational tasks include 

completing court briefs, 

taking statements and 

working through QPRIME. 

“We have adjusted our 

programs to ensure the skills 

taught are closely aligned 

with the needs of the region, 

and to teach the recruits the 

fundamental skills needed 

to ensure a quick transition 

from recruit to first year 

constable.” 

The new Police Academy 

Assistant Commissioner Tony Wright has enjoyed a diverse career with the QPS preparing 

him for his new role leading the Education and Training Command into the future. 

Photo by Michelle Fleming, Media and Public Affairs Branch 

at Wacol is scheduled to 

become operational in 

2014 to coincide with the 

150 th anniversary of the 

Queensland Police Service. 

With the new academy in 

sight, Assistant Commissioner 

Wright has many future 

visions for the Education and 

Training Command such as 

offering potential recruits the 

option of completing some of 

the foundation subjects such 

as legal studies outside of 

their vocational program. 

“A large group of our recruits 

are coming to the academy 

with financial and family 

commitments, which makes it 

challenging to live off a recruit 

wage for 30 weeks,” Assistant 


“In the future, we intend to 

establish distance education 

courses to alleviate that 

pressure by allowing 

potential recruits to study the 

fundamentals with flexibility. 

“Once they have completed 

the subjects they will need 

to pass the barrier test 

before they can start on 

their vocational course. The 

distance education will reduce 

the time recruits need to be at 

the academy.” 


Wright has a strong 

background in the area of 

investigation and intelligence. 

After commencing his career 

as a general duties officer, he 

served as an investigator in 

the area of child exploitation, 

child abuse and surveillance 

and intelligence activities. 

He was seconded to the 

National Crime Authority 

prior to a secondment to 

the Fitzgerald Inquiry. From 

1996 he spent four years 

as the Manager, National 

Intelligence Assessments, 

with the Australian Bureau 

of Criminal Intelligence in 

Canberra before transferring 

to the Mackay District in 

North Queensland as a district 

inspector. 


Wright said that along 

with the PROVE Program, 

Detective Training was also 

an area which was being 

redeveloped. 

“There are three phases 

of training a plain clothes 

officer needs to complete 

before they are eligible for 

a detective appointment. 

We would like to ensure an 

officer is enrolled in phase 

one within six months of 

being appointed into a 

Criminal Investigation Branch 

(CIB) or Child Protection 

Investigation Unit (CPIU) as a 

plain clothes officer,” Assistant 


“Previously it was taking 

too long for an officer to 

commence phase one, which 

was unacceptable. We have 

also added an additional week 

to phase two which focuses 

on investigative interviewing 

techniques.” 

The Education and Training 

Command offers an academy 

for all police officers and 

staff members. Assistant 

Commissioner Wright said 

instructors and facilitators 

periodically undertook 

secondments in operational 

areas to ensure the curriculum 

remained current and 

relevant. 

“We need to ensure they are 

keeping up to date with their 

operational skills to ensure 

their teaching practices are 

a match for the operational 

policing environment,” he 

said. 

By Michelle Fleming, 



Power-house recruit and mother of two, Deb McLachlan lives 

her long-time dream of becoming a police officer, entering 

training at the QPS Academy in the PROVE program. 

Dragging a 75kg mannequin 

40 metres from one end of a 

gymnasium to the other, sprinting 

80 metres and then dragging it 

back to its original position is 

some feat for a 52kg officer. How 

does Recruit Deb McLachlan do 

it? 

“You squat down so your back is 

supported. You roll your shoulders 

back and keep your head up. 

You stay physically and mentally 

strong. Above all, you don’t give 

up,” she said. 

That mannequin could be you or 

I, unconscious in a burning car, 

and the ‘dummy drag’ is just one 

of the drills police recruits practice 

to perfection. 

All recruits undertake the 

intensive 30-week Police Recruit 

Operational Vocational Education 

(PROVE) program, which is 

offered at both the Oxley and the 

Townsville police academies. 

Photo by Emilee Woolcock, Media and Public Affairs Branch 

PROVEing 

ability 

Recruit 

McLachlan 

is 15 weeks 

into her 

program, 

but 

becoming a 

police officer 

has always been in the back of her 

mind. 

“I first wanted to become a police 

officer when I was 18 and living in 

Adelaide. I tried to join the South 

10 


Australia Police, but I was too 

short. They wanted 5’6”, and 

I’m only 5’4”, she said. 

“Then when I moved to 

Brisbane in 1991, I met my 

complete life change, but 

my family is very proud of 

me.” 

The PROVE program gives 

participants the foundations 

to become 

a police 

officer. The 

program 

is full 

time, with 

students 

expected to 

study and 

complete 

assignments 

in their 

own time. 

Participants 

complete 

modules 

on topics 

Recruits in the PROVE program 

prepare for a diverse role as a police 

officer learning the right skills through 

physical fitness training, practical role 

play and theory-based study. 

Photos by Sergeant Clint Hanson, Police Photographic Section 

husband who had 

just graduated 

from the police 

academy. I got 

busy working as 

a personal trainer 

and coach, running 

fitness programs 

for kids, and raising 

two children. 

“Now he is a Sergeant with 

the South Brisbane Traffic 

Branch, our kids are 12 and 

14 years old, and I’m ready to 

take up the next challenge. 

It’s a big commitment and a 

such as community safety, 

legislation, property, traffic 

and juveniles, followed by an 

exam and then practical work 

based on scenarios and role 

play. 

To be eligible for PROVE, 

applicants need to possess 

a tertiary qualification, life 

experience and a high level of 

fitness. 

“I already had a Certificate 

III and IV in Fitness plus lots 

of life experience, which I 

think played a big role in 

my application,” Recruit 

McLachlan said. 

“Physically, it helps if you are 

already fit before you come 

to the academy. 

By the end of 

week 15 we are 

supposed to 

have completed 

our ‘triple’— 

that’s the 

dummy drag, 

obstacle course 

and ‘beep’ 

test. If you get 

the triple done 

early, then you 

can concentrate 

on your studies without the 

added pressure of trying 

to get your fitness up to 

standard. I did mine in week 

five.” 

At 44, Recruit McLachlan said 

she was the oldest female in 

her group, which comprised 

21 men and women of varying 

ages. 

“Despite the age differences, 

there’s a great camaraderie 

between us, not just within 

our group, but with other 

groups at the academy. 

There’s a good support 

network too; we have 

Human Services Officers and 

Learning Support Officers. 

Our facilitators, Sergeant 

Miley and Sergeant Cooper, 

are terrific. If ever you’ve got 

problems you’ve got someone 

to talk to.” 

In the future, Recruit 

McLachlan said she hoped 

to combine her passion for 

policing with her love of 

working with young people. 

“I’d love to work with youth, 

and can see myself at a station 

that is linked to a PCYC, 

or even as a school-based 

police officer or adopt-acop. 

A position in the Child 

Protection Investigation Unit is 

another option,” she said. 

“In hindsight I’m glad I 

didn’t do this at 18; I was not 

mentally or emotionally ready. 

You have to be prepared 

and your family has to be 

supportive. It will be hard, 

there will be challenges along 

the way, but it’s a fantastic 

thing to do and everybody 

I’ve dealt with has been 

terrific.” 

By Paula Hedemann, 



Justice Entry Program— 

the making of leaders 


bounce ideas off each other. 

Being part of a small group is 

very supportive.” 

Trainee Leschke said the study 

had also been a concern for 

her, but found she was coping 

well with the workload. 

“The assessment is mainly 

based on assignments, but 

you are well prepared to 

tackle them. You’re given 

good information and enough 

time to get your head around 

it,” Trainee Leschke said. 

“At the moment we are 

studying the justice systems in 

different cultures, comparing 

Vietnamese, Islamic, 

Aboriginal and other systems. 

We’re gaining awareness 

and understanding of other 

cultures. 

Justice Entry Program (JEP) Trainees, Hayden Lea and Tennille Leschke step up to the mark, satisfying their assessment 

requirements for a Certificate IV in Justice while also having to meet additional physical and psychological fitness standards. 

The journey to becoming a 

police officer is not an easy 

one. Although the path is well 

signposted, the qualifications 

required to take the first step 

could exclude some of our 

finest future officers. 

For Justice Entry Program 

(JEP) Trainees Hayden Lea 

and Tennille Leschke, a career 

in policing always seemed 

a slightly unattainable goal, 

due to the prerequisite of 

at least 200 hours of tertiary 

education. 

Both trainees are now eight 

weeks into the six-month, 

full-time JEP, an alternative 

pathway to recruitment for 

Indigenous Australians who 

lack tertiary qualifications. 

The JEP provides participants 

with a Certificate IV in Justice, 

a nationally recognised 

qualification which has 

been tailored specifically to 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait 

Islanders. 

Trainee Lea said the idea 

behind the program was to 

help Indigenous students 

qualify for the Police Recruit 

Operational Vocational 

Education (PROVE) Program. 

“The idea is to get everyone 

up to the same base level. 

So, as well as doing the 

Certificate IV studies, the 

topics also include things like 

time management and study 

techniques to prepare for 

PROVE,” Trainee Lea said. 

“I’m finding the study 

challenging, but we are all 

doing it together and we can 

“Field trips are also part of the 

course. Recently we visited 

the old jail to gain a broader 

understanding of conditions 

in the past, and later we will 

visit the modern Brisbane 

Watchhouse.” 

Trainees Lea and Leschke 

are part of a group of eight 

students currently enrolled 

in JEP, comprising four men 

and four women. One of 

the youngest groups so far, 

Trainee Lea is the second 

oldest in his group at 26 years 

of age. The oldest student is 

a 28-year-old man, while the 

remaining students are around 

19-20 years. 

The JEP is offered at the 

Oxley Police Academy and, 

like Police Recruits, the JEP 

participants attend classes 

from 8am–4pm Monday to 

12 


Friday, and have the option of 

living in at the academy. While 

Trainee Leschke lives not far 

from the academy, Trainee 

Lea has chosen to live in, 

along with another four of his 

colleagues. 

“I have left a partner and my 

pet dogs behind in Townsville 

to attend this course. It’s a 

challenge being away from 

home, but living in is great. 

We can use the facilities 

whenever we want and it’s 

good for networking,” he 

said. 

“There is a really good 

culture here in the academy— 

everyone wants you to 

succeed and will go out of 

their way to help you. The 

library staff are amazing; I 

can’t speak highly enough of 

them. Denise Desnica is great. 

She will come over and have 

a chat with you and you don’t 

realise until later how much 

you really needed that chat.” 

Trainee Leschke said the 

encouragement offered by 

not just the staff but also other 

students helped make the 

program a positive learning 

experience. 

“When we first arrived here 

at the academy, previous JEP 

students who are now in the 

PROVE Program came and 

introduced themselves and 

welcomed us. We also have a 

Learning Support Officer, an 

Indigenous lady called Janelle 

McCarthy. 

to the same physical and 

psychological fitness 

standards as police recruits. 

“You need to pass a physical 

skills test and psychometric 

testing; these are the same 

tests the recruits are required 

to pass,” Trainee Leschke 

said. 

“The physical tests include a 

hang test, where you need to 

be able to hang from a chin 

bar for at least three seconds, 

push ups, and a beep test, 

where you have to run back 

and forth between two points 

in ever decreasing intervals. 

These tests weren’t really a 

problem for anyone in our 

group as all of us are pretty fit 

already.” 

Trainee Lea said the course 

content also included a 

physical skills education 

component. 

“Besides physical skills, we 

learn the theory behind it— 

how the body works, how to 

get your cardio fitness up. The 

facilitators are really open to 

assisting you on a personal 

level. You can have a personal 

fitness program developed or 

a personalised eating plan.” 

While participants earn a 

wage completing the JEP, 

both trainees said they had 

abandoned higher paying 

jobs to enrol. Trainee Lea 

was selling insurance, 

while Trainee Leschke 

was a customer service 

representative. 

“The majority of us have taken 

a pay cut to do this, but if you 

look at the bigger picture, 

then you manage these 

things. This is a quality of life 

issue. It’s a career I’ve always 

wanted, so I’m prepared to 

make sacrifices. 

“I’m uncertain of where I 

will be posted or what I will 

be doing. At this stage I’m 

thinking dog squad, but there 

are so many different options 

that I don’t even know about 

yet. You can set your sights 

as high as you want. And it 

means a lot to me for my 

family to be proud of me.” 

Trainee Leschke said her 

parents were extremely proud 

of her participating in the JEP. 

“I’ve always wanted to do this 

and now I’m finally going for 

it. Indigenous people are not 

always expected to succeed, 

but my parents are really 

proud of what I’m doing. 

Everyone has a different story 

though; sometimes there 

can be mixed reactions from 

relatives. We are both very 

lucky to have supportive 

families. 

“I would definitely 

recommend this course to 

other Aboriginal and Torres 

Strait Islander people. It’s just 

crazy how much support there 

is. I thought you just came 

here as an individual and did 

the course by yourself. In 

reality, you are doing it as a 

group. You’ve all got the same 

goals, you help each other 

out. I have never regretted 

taking this on.” 

Trainee Lea said he agreed 

working together as a group 

was a significant advantage, 

and that he would urge other 

Indigenous Australians to 

enquire further. 

“It would be tougher if 

we weren’t doing it as a 

group. And by the time 

we’re finished, we’ll be well 

prepared for the PROVE 

Program. We will have already 

been here at the academy 

and know how to act and not 

have that nervousness. 

“We will have what it takes 

to become leaders. I’m really 

looking forward to that,” he 

said. 



“The facilitators are very 

accommodating of personal 

circumstances. I play soccer 

in my own time and I’ve been 

selected to compete in New 

Zealand. I thought I would 

have to miss out, but they’ve 

allowed me the time off to 

go.” 

“For me, the sacrifice is well 

worth a career in the QPS,” 

Trainee Leschke said. 

“It’s a job that will always be 

changing. In my old job I was 

nine to five on a computer all 

day. I just can’t face doing that 

for the rest of my life.” 

While the requirements 

for tertiary education is a 

hurdle that can be overcome, 

JEP students are subject 

Trainee Lea said the reduction 

in salary was more than 

compensated for by the 

opportunities that lay ahead. 

JEP Trainees Lea and Leschke hit the books in preparation for their entry into the 

PROVE program. 


Policing Skills Program 

teaches thought before action 

Long gone are the days when Queensland Police Service (QPS) 

officers were appraised on their skills and skills alone. 

Their ability to shoot at a paper target, apply a wrist-lock to an 

offender or strike a baton correctly are still required tactical skills, 

however it is their capacity to make ethical decisions, justify, and 

articulate their actions that are true indicators of their aptitude 

as a police officer. 

Introduced in 1996, the Situational Use of Force (SUOF) Model 

has found its way into all levels of policing and assists in the 

process of taking skills learnt in training and applying them to an 

incident as it evolves. 

Training officers and recruits in each of the 11 ‘use of force’ 

options available is overseen by the Policing Skills Program, 

based at the QPS Academy at Oxley. This program provides 

initial training for recruits and develops ongoing training for 

operational police. The areas covered by the Policing Skills 

Program include Operational Skills and Tactics (OST), Firearms 

and Officers Safety Training (FOST) and Physical Skills Education 

(PSE). 

The curriculum is developed with input from policing regions 

across the state, and addresses recommendations from 

Crime and Misconduct Commission reviews and Coronial 

investigations. Inspector Robyn Crozier, Manager of the Policing 

Skills Program, said the curriculum evolved to reflect best 

practice and community expectations. 

“From our perspective there has been a significant shift in 

Operational Skills and Tactics training in the last 10 to 15 years,” 

Inspector Crozier said. 

“Skill proficiency in any use of force application is only a 

small part of what we teach. It is another step from being 

able to safely use that skill to then be able to articulate 

and justify those actions in context of legislation and QPS 

policy and procedures.” 

When confronted with a situation where force is needed, 

the SUOF Model gives officers a decision making tool 

that can be applied to all situations and ensures they are 

operating within the legislative framework. Officers must 

comply with the model’s guidelines—that the use of force 

must be authorised, justified, reasonable, proportionate, 

appropriate, legally defensible, tactically sound 

and effective. 

“Officers learn to continuously re-assess the 

threat, looking at the risks and circumstances 

surrounding the incident,” Inspector Crozier 

said. 

“Where needed, officers have a number of 

options available to them and can escalate 

or de-escalate the use of force depending on 

the situation. In the end, the aim is to regain 

control and safety for all parties by bringing 

the situation to an appropriate resolution using 

the minimum amount of force necessary.” 

Recruits choose appropriate options from the Situational Use of Force Model to 

resolve scenario-based situations, taken from real-life policing examples. 

Decision making under stress can be a hard 

skill to master, and the Policing Skills Program 

relies heavily on scenario-based training to 

teach officers to be able to justify a decision to 

use force. 

14 


“Some officers find it difficult to 

articulate their course of action. 

Realistically, what is under greater 

scrutiny than the application of 

force is what was going on in 

their head—how they determined 

that course of action,” Inspector 

Crozier said. 

“If an officer decided to use 

a taser, what was the decision 

making process? What was the 

risk, what was the threat, and 

was this considered to be good 

professional practice? These 

are some of the questions QPS 

officers must ask themselves and 

be accountable for afterwards.” 

Inspector Crozier said people 

often thought that use of 

force was limited to physical 

means. However, tactical 

communication—communication 

used to achieve a resolution—is 

strictly reinforced as mandatory in 

their use of force process. 

“Sometimes the mere fact that 

the officer is present, in uniform, 

in a marked vehicle, and acting 

with the authority of his or her 

position is enough to influence 

behaviour without physically using 

force,” she said. 

By Emilee Woolcock, 


Tactical 

Withdrawal 

Restraining 

Accoutrement 

Presence 

Situational 

Containment 

Baton 

Situational 

Use of Force 

(SUOF) 

Model 

Open Hand 

Tactics 

Oleoresin 

Capsicum (OC) 

Spray 

Closed Hand 

Tactics 

Communication 

Skills 

Conducted 

Energy Weapon 

(Taser) 

Firearms 

Scenario focus for Operational 

Skills and Tactics 


One of the most difficult challenges for a police officer or recruit is to 

establish a degree of control over another person, to deter them from 

negative behaviour and to negotiate, using their verbal skills and their 

‘presence’ and without laying a hand on them. 

Taking the SUOF Model into 

consideration, the facilitators of the 

Operational Skills and Tactics (OST) 

Program have developed a program 

of dynamic interactive scenariobased 

training. 

Senior Sergeant Damien Hayden, 

Officer-in-Charge of OST, said this 

form of practical training helped 

develop competence in the use of 

force process. 

“Scenario-based training makes 

trainees, whether recruits or 

operational officers, work harder to 

use the correct techniques and to 

justify and articulate their decision,” 

Senior Sergeant Hayden said. 

“The scenarios have been taken 

from real life situations and are 

designed for maximum impact on 

learning. Scenario-based training 

is also a valid form of stress 

inoculation—we can see how officers 

perform and recognise where their 

strengths and weaknesses lie.” 

All officers up to and including the 

rank of Senior Sergeant undertake 

OST training annually. The training 


includes a static skills and theory component, followed by 

scenario-based training where students apply these skills and 

knowledge in workplace simulations. 

“Putting theory into practice is essential. Realistically they are 

matching their technical abilities with a real-world, real-time, 

unfolding scenario and then at the end they are called upon to 

explain and justify why they did what they did,” Senior Sergeant 

Hayden said. 

“All scenarios are dynamic and aimed to suit the diversity of 

QPS officers. There is no ‘set way’ to operate in a particular 

situation. Tactics used by a 22-year-old Constable can be entirely 

different from those of a 58-year-old Senior Sergeant, but both 

can achieve the same outcome. 

“One may deploy a taser and the other may use a hands-on 

approach. They have a choice of options to bring a situation 

safely under control and minimise any risk for themselves, their 

partner or any other person involved,” he said. 

Senior Sergeant Hayden said scenarios were not necessarily 

devised to require a resolution through an application of force. 

“They are open to any number of means of resolution and using 

the least amount of force is strongly encouraged. What we ask 

is that officers assess the situation and then continually re-assess 

the scenario as it evolves. We want police to respond and not 

just ‘react’. This is why we ask officers to monitor themselves and 

be able to justify their course of actions when lawfully applying 

force to resolve policing incidents.” 

Senior Sergeant Hayden said beginning to train new recruits 

in handling emotions and monitoring levels of force could 

sometimes be challenging. 

“While some find it hard to move forward from ‘talk’ to ‘action’, 

others have a low level of situational awareness and anticipation 

of risk. These are things that can’t necessarily be taught in a 

classroom, but learnt through appropriate scenario training and 

on the job experience.” 

When asked to identify the most difficult 

aspect of use of force training, Senior Sergeant 

Hayden said, “Tactical communication.” 

“One of the most difficult challenges for a 

police officer or recruit is to establish a degree 

of control over another person, to deter them 

from negative behaviour and to negotiate, 

using their verbal skills and without laying a 

hand on them. 

“An officer who can do this will always be 

regarded as an asset,” he said. 

By Emilee Woolcock, 


Skill and confidence 

paramount in firearms training 

A police officer’s decision to draw a firearm is a choice which 

can never be taken lightly. The Firearms and Officer Safety 

Training (FOST) unit based at the Oxley Academy is committed 

to training police recruits to the highest possible standard, 

enabling confidence within this critical thought process. 

Acting Sergeant Rozanna Henriksen is a FOST instructor, 

dedicated to educating future police officers on the decision 

making process involved in the firearms option, which is 

designed for use in a high-threat situation. 

Acting Sergeant Henriksen said the course components were 

set out specifically to provide police recruits with the necessary 

skills to make the best judgement call at the time. 

“Police recruits go through various components of the PROVE 

program here at the academy and part of that program is a 

two week firearms and officer safety course,” Acting Sergeant 

Henriksen said. 

She said combining theory with practical instruction was the key 

to instilling confidence in a police recruit potentially facing a 

critical incident. 

16 


A recruit speaks into his radio, 

articulating his decision to draw a 

firearm in one of the Firearms and 

Officer Safety Training scenarios. 


“It is a real balance of theory, law and practical instruction, so 

they’re getting both the lectures, instructor demonstrations 

and then the chance to demonstrate it, all of which builds 

confidence,” she said. 

As most recruits who attend the academy have not handled 

or even seen a firearm, Acting Sergeant Henriksen said there 

were mixed reactions from recruits while attending FOST. 

Acting Sergeant Rozie Henriksen combines theory with practical instruction 

to instill confidence in a police recruit potentially facing a critical incident. 

“Pretty much any member of the public you can think of will 

come through the academy as a recruit and most of them 

have never had any experience with firearms whatsoever. 

That’s why we offer them very close, one-on-one coaching to 

get them through. 

“We build up their skills and their confidence and by 

the end of the two weeks they’re drawing their firearms 

and demonstrating a skill level that is proficient and well 

calculated.” 

Acting Sergeant Henriksen said it was mandatory for police recruits 

to pass all aspects of the course in order to graduate. 

“They have to be able to demonstrate skill, and they need to be able 

to articulate policy and procedure—then they need to be able to say 

why they drew their firearm and explain their risk assessment. 

“The most important role at FOST is teaching recruits the thought 

process that justifies their decision to draw a firearm. There needs to 

be a serious and imminent threat of death or greater bodily harm to 

use that use of force option,” she said. 

By Chrissie McLeod, 

Media and Public Affairs Officer 

Glock training pistols 

These exceptional training aids are used to practice weapon 

handling drills including immediate and stoppage drills, holster 

drawing, trigger prepping, and striping, as well as during training 

scenarios. 

The non-lethal marking cartridges use a detergent based, water 

soluble colour marking compound to represent visible impacts on a 

target to allow accurate assessment during simulated scenarios. 


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Shaping futures with 

Northern education 

Photo by Senior Constable Peter Abraham, Northern Region Scenes of Crime 

In the northern reaches of 

Queensland, the Townsville 

Police Academy stands as a 

fundamental stepping stone 

for developing recruits into 

finely trained and educated 

police officers. Like its 

southern counterpart at Oxley, 

Brisbane, it facilitates worldclass 

policing but takes a 

slightly different approach to 

recruit training. 

The Townsville Academy 

operates under an integrated 

training program with 

facilitators—either Sergeants 

or qualified staff members— 

guiding recruits through their 

training from beginning to 

end. 

Currently nine facilitators lead 

the initial service training, 

jumping from theoretical 

studies to communications, 

tactics, driving skills and 

operational skills training. This 

differs from the Oxley campus 

which has separate facilitators 

for each individual training 

component. 

Acting Inspector Paul Caswell, 

usually the intake coordinator 

for recruit training, said having 

facilitators interacting with 

recruits every day had both 

immediate and long-term 

benefits. 

Acting Inspector Paul Caswell says that the Townsville Police Academy offers 

both suitable and quality training services to North Queensland’s recruits. 

“It’s a compact staff to 

oversee the group; everyone 

has a role to play and we need 

all hands on deck,” Acting 

Inspector Caswell said. 

“Facilitators get to know the 

recruits on a deeper level, 

allowing them to identify 

strengths and weaknesses 

early on, producing a well 

trained and prepared police 

officer.” 

Currently, 42 Townsville 

recruits are undertaking 30 

weeks of training to earn 

their badge. It’s a smaller 

figure compared to the Oxley 

Academy, but an ideal number 

for Townsville’s physical and 

human resources. 

The Australian Army maintains 

a strong presence in the 

north, with the light infantry 3 rd 

Brigade and the Army Reserve 

designated the 11 th Brigade 

located in Townsville. As a 

result, the academy has a high 

proportion of former military 

personnel looking to extend 

their line of duty, representing 

an average of 15-25 percent of 

each intake. 

With the Oxley Academy 

situated within the boundaries 

of Queensland’s capital, 

Townsville’s academy is 

comparatively remote. 

However, with most of 

the recruits coming from 

either Townsville itself or 

the surrounding areas, the 

academy is physically closer to 

their homes and loved ones. 

Acting Inspector Caswell said 

this continued to be a huge 

draw card in recruitment. 

“The prospect of living at 

home and having only a short 

commute during training 

is incredibly attractive for 

recruits,” he said. 

“Having family and friends 

within reach no doubt helps 

aspiring police officers 

persevere and succeed 

through the course. Those 

who board at the academy 

also have the luxury of visiting 

family and friends more often, 

along with the motel style 

accommodation provided.” 

While Townsville’s method of 

delivery varied from Oxley’s, 


the academy went to great 

lengths to ensure consistency 

in the training across both 

campuses. 

“We have the same academic 

modules and assessment, 

guidelines and principles. 

But we find that what we do 

differently also works well,” 

Inspector Caswell said. 

When recruits sign on to be 

based in Townsville, they do 

so knowing they are expected 

to serve in the Northern, Far 

Northern or Central regions. 

It is a prerequisite that 


provided a great footing for 

police officers just starting 

their career in community 

service and law enforcement. 

“Recruits gain firsthand 

experience of the vastness 

and diversity within the state 

and its people working in 

areas from Gladstone to 

Cairns, Mount Isa and Cape 

York. 

“It is an opportunity to serve 

in the rural and remote areas 

of Queensland—areas that 

would otherwise be missed if 

they were to begin in central 

or city locations,” he said. 

By Lucy Emlyn-Jones, 



Driver training skills 

run in family 

20 

PoliceBulletin363 

QPS driver training has come a long way since 

humble beginnings at the Caboolture Raceway, 

now based at the Driver Training Centre at Wacol 

where recruits learn the system of vehicle control.

Sitting on a bench seat in 

the back of a police issue 

XB Falcon being driven by 

a recruit was one of the 

first introductions Sergeant 

Lindsay McGinn 

had to QPS driver 

training—and he 

was only a child. 

Sergeant 

McGinn has fond 

memories of 

going to work 

with his dad who 

was a driving 

instructor in 

1970. The late 

Sergeant Gordon 

McGinn was one of the first 

QPS driving instructors to set 

the foundations for the driver 

course that is an important 

part of recruit training. 

“We would head out to 

the Caboolture Raceway 

which was a cow paddock,” 

Sergeant McGinn said. 

“The recruits had to negotiate 

around logs that were laid out 

as the obstacles. I learnt all 

about system vehicle control 

from a very young age.” 

Sergeant McGinn has been 

with the Queensland Police 

Service (QPS) Academy for 

seven years as an instructor 

for the Driver Trainer Unit 

and said it was a coincidence 

to be following in his dad’s 

footsteps, but an easy 

decision to make. 

His dad may have taught him 

how to drive, but Sergeant 

McGinn said a lot had 

changed since the times of 

cow paddocks. 

“Recruits have a two-week 

block of driver training where 

they learn the basic defensive 

driver skills to meet the 

expectations of a policing 

environment,” Sergeant 

McGinn said. 

“We cover various driving 

situations which take place 

in the city and in a country 

environment, and also ensure 

the recruits can change a 

tyre.” 

Recruits learn the skills of 

driving using the system of 

vehicle control, which enables 

them to scan environments 

appropriately to detect crime 

while driving, and engage 

appropriate driving standards 

when lights and sirens are 

required. 

“There are no tricks to driver 

training; we want our recruits 

to be able to scan and identify 

hazards by looking as far 

ahead as possible,” Sergeant 

McGinn said. 

“The further you look ahead 

the better you will 

be. Scanning, 

having a driving 

plan involving a 

continuous risk 

assessment, and 

executing your 

plan all come 

under the system 

of vehicle control.” 

Although Sergeant 

McGinn isn’t the 

type of instructor 

to trick his recruits, 

he does have a pet 

hate. 

“Everyone, not just 

recruits, needs to make sure 

they are in the correct road 

position,” Sergeant McGinn 

said. 

“The majority of drivers drive 

in the centre of the lane. You 

need to maximise your road 

position and keep to the left 

or right side depending on 

the hazard being negotiated. 

This will allow extra space to 

manoeuvre if there is a hazard 

on the road or if you need an 

area to brake.” 

The majority of driver training 

takes place at the Driver 

Training Centre at Wacol, 

which was built for the 

exclusive use of QPS officers 

and recruits. 

The track consists of a 

simulated road circuit of 

asphalt, gravel and tar roads, 

manoeuvre areas and urban 

streetscape. 

Many years of planning and 

design culminated in the 

construction of the $12 million 

track in 2010. 

One of the implementations 

from an Education and 

Training Command review 

was to allow academy 

instructors from the PROVE 

program to be seconded to 

an operational environment to 

update their skills. 

“I am currently working at 

Boondall Police Station on 

general duties and it is good 

to be in the real world work 

environment to refresh my 

policing skills,” Sergeant 

McGinn said. 

“The job of first response 

policing hasn’t changed. 

It’s still the fundamentals 

of communication with the 

public, however the support 

tools are the elements that 

have changed.” 

Sergeant McGinn is also using 

his time to see if any of his 

driver training techniques 

need to be modified to fit into 

current policing trends. 

“I will be making some 

recommendations when 

I get back to the Driver 

Training Unit to see if we can 

incorporate different vehicles, 

such as vans, into the current 

training block,” Sergeant 

McGinn said. 

“This is one of the advantages 

of being an instructor on 

secondment—we get to 

assess our own teaching 

in a real world policing 

environment.” 

By Michelle Fleming, 



First Year Constable program 

—from recruit to officer 

Constable Natalie Norris looks over the mining hub of Mount Isa where she has been stationed 

throughout the First Year Constable program. 

When Constable Natalie Norris 

moved from Townsville to start 

work as a client service officer 

at a police station in Cairns, she 

never imagined one day she 

would be wearing the uniform of 

blue. 

Now she has just completed the 

First Year Constable program in 

Mount Isa and, having reached 

the end of her engagement with 

the Initial Service Training section 

of the Education and Training 

Command, is embarking on the 

next phase of her career. 

“Initially it never crossed my 

mind I would end up as a police 

officer; I just wanted a steady 

government job. I really enjoyed 

the work, but eventually, after 

four years, I just felt I wanted to 

get out of the office,” Constable 

Norris said. 

Constable Norris studied law 

for one year which helped her 

gain entry into the PROVE 

program at the Queensland 

Police Service (QPS) Academy in 

Townsville. She graduated from 

the academy in August 2010 

and took up a posting as a First 

Year Constable in Mount Isa. She 

said the transition from recruit 

to a sworn police officer was a 

challenging one. 

“The recruit training was good, 

but nothing can prepare you for 

the real world,” she said. 

“Being an officer is definitely 

different from being a recruit— 

and nothing like being a client 

service officer. You don’t have 

that counter separating you from 

the outside world. It took me six 

months to adjust; I’m still getting 

used to it.” 

22 


The First Year Constable 

program is competency 

based, on-the-job training, 

where academy graduates 

are assigned to a police 

station. Participants rotate 

through different aspects 

of police work to broaden 

their experience, and need 

to demonstrate competency 

in a range of topics. The 

learning experience is 

complemented by training 

days at the station and 

blocks of study back at the 

academy. 

Constable Norris said 

having the opportunity to 

perform a range of duties 

gave her a taste of some of 

the career choices that lay 

ahead. 

“As part of our first year 

we do two week blocks 

in two sections. I worked 

two weeks in the Child 

Protection and Investigation 

Unit (CPIU) and had some 

jobs with the property 

squad. I also worked two 

weeks in the traffic branch. 

“I definitely would like to 

work as a plain clothes 

officer at some stage in the 

future, but first would like to 

stay in general duties for a 

while.” 

Mount Isa is just one of a 

number of police stations 

throughout Queensland 

equipped to be able to 

take officers through the 

FYC program. Constable 

Norris said despite having 

no family or friends in the 

outback town, isolation was 

not an issue. 

“I am one of five First Year 

Constables here; four of 

us went through training 

together. I live in the 

barracks so we live, work 

and socialise together. 

Everyone gets on really well 

and this is quite different to 

a main city where people 

go home to their own lives 

every day. 

Mount Isa has given Constable Norris a taste of 

the possibilities in her future as a police officer. 

Constable Norris said that she has never found the 

isolation of Mount Isa an issue. Aside from building 

relationships with her fellow officers, she has also 

immersed herself in the town’s sporting and social life. 

Photos by Sergeant Phillip Bridge, Mount Isa Scenes of Crime Officer 

“I also play a lot of sport— 

netball and basketball outside 

of work, as well as touch football 

with work mates in a social 

competition.” 

Having reached the end of her 

first year as a police officer, 

Constable Norris said she was 

looking ahead to the future. 

“A condition of living in the 

barracks is that you agree to 

a six month rotation to either 

Doomadgee, Mornington Island, 

Cloncurry or Normanton. I’d 

like to go to Doomadgee or 

Mornington Island to experience 

life in a very remote community. 

“The First Year Constable 

program has been a rewarding 

and nurturing experience. It is 

a very supportive atmosphere. 

Everyone is so willing to stop 

what they are doing and help 

you. It’s a small station, so if 

there are problems they find out 

pretty quickly. 

“The hardest part to get used to 

is the shift work. It throws your 

body around a bit, especially if 

you have overtime on night shift. 

You have to get used to turning 

your body clock around. 

“It sounds a bit cliché. What I 

like the best is that each day 

you don’t know what is going to 

happen or what you’ll come up 

against. You meet new people 

and most days you walk away 

with a laugh.” 




Facing the challenge of major 

events through the Incident 

Command Development Unit 

More than 7000 significant events involving actual or threatened 

violence and requiring a policing response were recorded across 

Queensland in 2010. 

In addition, natural weather events, searches, civil unrest and 

other threats to public safety all required a measured, high level 

and well thought-out response. 

To meet these challenges, police officers across all ranks and 

geographical locations need to be sufficiently equipped to deal 

with not only the first response, but also protracted operations. 

The Incident Command Development Unit (ICDU) is part of 

the Senior Leadership and Professional Development Program 

based at the Oxley Police Service Academy. A team of four 

officers and staff members, managed by Inspector Joe Joyce, 

are continuously working to deliver incident command education 

and training to police throughout the state. 

The incident command course forms part of the Level 3 

Management Development Program, residential for senior 

sergeants, and has for some time delivered requisite skills to 

enable front line commanders to better perform their job. The 

course delivers the necessary training and up-skills participants 

in first response and command. The ICDU has also delivered 

regional supervisor workshops aimed at first response. 

A critical part of the training is the virtual reality component, 

which challenges students to manage real life situations using 

their knowledge to resolve incidents which appear on the large 

screen in front of them. 

The unit also delivered the inaugural Incident Command 

Symposium in 2010, where a fellow officer from the United States 

of America was the key note speaker, having been involved in the 

1999 Columbine High School killings. 

Later this year, another symposium will be held in Brisbane 

with the timely theme of disasters. A key note speaker from 

Christchurch, New Zealand, will discuss the tragedy of the 

earthquake there earlier this year. 

By Inspector Joe Joyce, Incident Command Development Unit 

ICDU offers training in ‘virtual reality’ to prepare 

for significant event policing response. 

24 


An important addition to the residential courses commencing 

in April 2010 was the ‘Visiting Fellow’ initiative. Inspectors from 

Queensland and interstate attend for the duration of the course 

and share their experiences, insights and fellowship. Inspector Paul 

Carrett from Major Events and Incidents Group, New South Wales 

Police Force, attended as Visiting Fellow in October 2010, and 

provided the following account. 

When the offer was made for me to attend the Incident Command 

Course, my immediate thoughts were, “what could I offer?” No 

matter what I ended up giving to the course, the trip turned out to 

be one of the most rewarding experiences in my 22 years as a police 

officer. 

It quickly became apparent that this team of dedicated people 

exuded professionalism. 

With quite a number of years experience in teaching incident 

command to senior police, it was pleasing to see that the course was 

following what I call the two guiding principles for running senior 

police courses. 

The first principle involves hearing it from the horse’s mouth. The 

use of subject matter experts in such courses is imperative, and 

fortunately this course had an abundance of such experts, supported 

by relevant visits to specialist units and into the field at times. 

The second principle involves keeping the participants active, and 

this is where I found the course impressed most. There was a good 

mix of tabletop exercises and virtual reality exercises that kept all the 

participants on their toes. 

As it turned out, much of what we spoke about during the course was 

put into practice earlier this year with major flooding and cyclones. 

Such events prove the value and absolute necessity of ensuring our 

police commanders, at whatever level, have the skills to deal with 

such events. 

By Inspector Paul Carrett, New South Wales Police Force 

Senior Sergeant Graham Seabrook, Officer-in-Charge at Longreach, 

attended the residential in 2010, and submitted this account of his 

experiences with the unit. 

As a practical person, it was a discouraging thought—reading and 

doing assignments. The other concern I had, was that I last worked 

‘on the road’ in 1999 and this course was about incident command. 

From day one I found the staff very approachable. The atmosphere 

was one of respected learning with a positive enthusiasm on behalf 

of unit staff to share knowledge, welcome past experiences, and 

truly value input. The feedback from experienced Special Emergency 

Response Team operatives after exercises was invaluable. 

The importance of making a firm decision and explaining the reasons, 

and allowing staff to understand those reasons, was stressed. The 

recording of decisions cannot be underestimated and is something I 

have continued with in all aspects of my duties. 

Ultimately, my experience at the two week Incident Command Course 

was a very positive one with real life practical learning and I would 

urge other officers to consider this if they haven’t done it, or go back 

and do it again as a refresher. 

Longreach District staff also appreciated the delivery of the two-day 

workshop by the Incident Command team in June 2011. 

By Senior Sergeant Graham Seabrook, Longreach 

Keeping on track for 

career success 

With the Initial Service Training finally completed, a police 

officer is entitled to feel as though he or she has reached a 

significant milestone in their working life. With a career in the 

Queensland Police Service however, this is just the first step on 

a rewarding and wide-ranging education and training journey. 

The second branch of the Education and Training Command 

is the Senior Leadership and Development Program (SLPDP). 

Within this branch, the journey starts with the Constable 

Development Program, delivered over three years. 

Beyond that, Senior Constables enter the Management 

Development Program and are eligible for promotion 

to Sergeant, Senior Sergeant and finally Inspector, after 

progressing through each of the program’s three levels. 

For Inspectors and above, the senior leadership suite offers 

a mix of courses, conferences, workshops, study tours and 

in some cases outplacements, to broaden the professional 

leadership and management repertoire of more senior officers. 

Superintendent Mark Plath, SLPDP, said the professional 

development continuum of training and education programs 

was designed to take all police officers beyond their initial 

service training and experiences. 

“All officers need specific knowledge and skills as they progress 

through the ranks and various roles,” Superintendent Plath said. 

“Most of this knowledge and skills are acquired through 

workplace experiences and mentoring by supervisors and 

is widely recognised as important in the skill development 

process, but it also relies on good supervision. 

“Contemporary knowledge and skills are very dynamic, so 

education and training programs are designed to introduce 

officers to new legislation, new policies and procedures, 

new ideas and new ways of providing better supervision and 

leadership.” 

Superintendant Plath explained the SLPDP training was based 

on a curriculum that offered critical reflection, case studies and 

the analysis of current issues and trends; and could be delivered 

across most working environments. 

“Where feasible, practical and sustainable, distance education 

is complemented with residential components. All educators 

and trainers recognise the value added to learning through 

face-to-face sessions,” he said. 

The SLPDP comprises a range of units that deliver programs 

not only for rank progression, but for key specialist skills. 

These include investigations and intelligence training, incident 

command training and officer-in-charge training. 

Superintendent Plath said QPS staff members were also well 

catered for with a range of programs. 

“Our staff members are a vital part of the Service and the 

opportunities provided to them enhance the standards within 

the organisation as a whole,” he said. 

“We are very fortunate within SLPDP to have teams of highly 

enthusiastic and committed professionals who devote their 

efforts to the development of police and staff members across 

the QPS.” 

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The third phase of detective training 

incorporates a mock murder scenario to 

give participants practical experience in 

investigative techniques. 

Photos by Detective Sergeant Cameron Gardner, Detective Training Section 

Len Hooper Award 

Detective Sergeant Len Hooper was 

tragically killed in August 1997 while 

executing a search warrant in Herston. 

His dedication and commitment to the 

QPS were recognised with a posthumous 

National Police Medal, and QPS vessel 

the Len Hooper was launched by 

Yeppoon Water Police in 1998. 

The Len Hooper Award was created 

in 2003 and is presented annually to 

an outstanding Detective Training 

Program graduate who demonstrates 

similar qualities to those held by the late 

detective. 

These qualities include a high degree of 

knowledge, leadership skills, integrity, 

tenacity, reliability, loyalty, dedication, 

commitment, motivation, professionalism 

to duty, and the ability to work within a 

team environment. 

This year’s winner, Detective Senior 

Constable Janelle Walsh of the Carseldine 

Criminal Investigation Branch, said she 

was thrilled to accept the award. 

“The program was quite intensive 

and really pushed us, but it was very 

rewarding. It’s a real honour to receive 

the Len Hooper Award,” Detective Senior 

Constable Walsh said. 

By Bridgette Williams, Media and Public 

Affairs Branch 

Detective 

training on the cutting edge 

of investigative policing 

The Investigations and Intelligence Training 

Unit (IITU) is training officers to be on the 

front line of investigative policing through 

its three year Detective Training Program. 

The program is offered to plain clothes 

police officers who have completed 

the prerequisite course work, and is the 

pathway to becoming a detective in the 

Queensland Police Service (QPS). 

The Detective Training Program is 

delivered in three phases, and participants 

graduate with the nationally recognised 

Advanced Diploma of Public Safety (Police 

Investigation). 

Phase one covers basic investigation skills, 

evidence gathering, interviewing, law 

foundations, process and procedures; while 

phase two covers laws and legislation. In 

2012, high level investigative interview 

training will also be included. 

Finally, phase three includes practical 

and theoretical assessments surrounding 

homicide investigation and major incident 

room coordination, and the investigative 

processes required in complex criminal 

investigations. On successful completion of 

the training, graduates present a portfolio 

of their work as an investigator to a board 

of senior detectives. If successful, they are 

appointed as a detective. 

Detective Sergeant Cameron Gardner of 

the Detective Training Section said some 

of the key attributes encouraged by the 

program were thoroughness and attention 

to detail. The program also strives to 

develop in detectives an awareness of 

emerging trends affecting society and 

investigative policing. 

“The program is aimed not only at training 

officers in well established practices, but 

also equipping them with knowledge 

of new technology and emerging crime 

trends,” Detective Sergeant Gardner said. 

“We keep the curriculum current so 

detectives stay on the cusp of prevailing 

trends such as identity theft and the use of 

the internet to commit offences. 

“The training is conducted with a mixture 

of both theory and practical training 

sessions, as well as on the job training. In 

phase three, we construct a mock murder 

investigation to give the participants 

a situation that is as close to reality as 

possible.” 

Detective Senior Constable Janelle Walsh, 

recent graduate and winner of this year’s 

Len Hooper Award said the training was 

invaluable to her work as a detective. 

“The Detective Training Program equipped 

me with the skills to confidently perform 

my job to the best of my ability and to see 

results,” Detective Senior Constable Walsh 

said. 

“I’ve gone into every situation I’ve 

encountered as a detective fully prepared 

thanks to it.” 

By CJ Roberts, 




Earning your stripes 

So, you’ve made it through 

the recruit training, survived 

the First Year Constable 

Program—now it’s just a 

matter of time before you 

progress up through the 

ranks, right? 

Length of service actually has 

little to do with the number 

of stripes on your epaulettes. 

Rather, the QPS has a 

structured program in place to 

support each officer’s progress 

from Constable through to 

Senior Sergeant. 

The unit that supports this 

chapter of a police officer’s 

journey through his or her 

career is the Supervisor 

Development Unit (SDU). 

SDU Manager Inspector 

Howard Franklin explained the 

evolution of the unit. 

“The Supervisor Development 

Unit was created in February 

2010 as part of the broader 

restructure of the Human 

Resource Development 

Branch into the Education 

and Training Command. 

For the first time, all the 

supervisory programs came 

under the responsibility of one 

inspector,” Inspector Franklin 

said. 

“The formation of the SDU 

allowed us to refocus the 

development of more than 80 

percent of our members—the 

Constables, Senior Constables 

and Sergeants seeking to 

progress their careers up to 

the Senior Sergeant level. 

“Facilitators work closely 

together to ensure we have a 

cohesive and comprehensive 

curriculum that progressively 

builds on previous 

competencies. This synergy 

ensures the level of delivery 

is relevant and appropriate 

for every stage of a student’s 

progress. 

“The courses are developed 

by the unit and tailored 

specifically to QPS needs, 

rather than generic learning 

products that could overlap or 

leave gaps in knowledge.” 

Inspector Franklin said as well 

as revising the course content, 

the unit was also reviewing 

the way the courses were 

delivered. 

“We are exploring avenues 

to allow students to complete 

assessment items within 

time frames considerate of 

personal circumstances. This 

has seen a move away from 

semester-based learning to 

self-paced learning for Legal 

and Management studies 

and an intensive residential 

workshop for Sergeants,” he 

said. 

The four sections within 

the SDU—the Constable 

Development, Legal Studies, 

Management Studies, and 

Office in Charge sections— 

work collaboratively to 

provide the Constable 

Development Program, 

Management Development 

Program and the Officer in 

Charge Program. 

Constable 

Development Program 

The Constable Development 

Program (CDP) is a self-paced 

three year distance education 

program specifically designed 

to prepare constables for the 

performance of duties at the 

rank of Senior Constable. 

Year one focuses on 

investigative processes, 

while year two sees students 

applying those processes 

to specific investigations. 

Year three introduces basic 

management issues, planning, 

controlling and coordinating 

serious incidents and 

concludes with a one-week 

workshop, conducted at either 

the Oxley or the Townsville 

police academies. Upon 

successful completion of the 

CDP, participants are eligible 

28 


to progress automatically to 

the rank of Senior Constable. 

Acting Senior Sergeant 

Katrina Mason said 

Constables completing the 

CDP were offered extra 

support to keep them 

motivated during the threeyear 

period. 

“The Constable Development 

Section provides a student 

support initiative, whereby 

facilitators from the Brisbane 

or Townsville offices attend 

each region twice during a 

calendar year,” Acting Senior 

Sergeant Mason said. 

“Additional support is also 

provided to more isolated 

locations such as Palm Island, 

Longreach, Cape York and 

Mount Isa District, which 

includes Cloncurry, Gulf of 

Carpentaria and Mornington 

Island. 

“Members who have 

completed CDP are also 

granted credit towards a 

Bachelor of Policing degree 

from Charles Sturt University. 

The university allows CDP 

graduates to complete five 

elective subjects at a cost of 

about $550 per subject. This is 

a great opportunity to obtain 

a tertiary qualification at a 

reduced rate,” she said. 

Management 

Development Program 

The Management 

Development Program (MDP) 

comprises three levels, each 

encompassing a Management 

Studies and a Legal Studies 

component. Level 1 is 

required to be eligible for the 

rank of Sergeant, level 2 for 

Senior Sergeant and level 3 

for Inspector. The educational 

focus at each level is 

targeted at the next rank, 

ensuring each officer attains 

the required competence 

to be eligible to apply for 

promotion. Levels 1 and 2 

are offered by Management 

Studies Section and Legal 

Studies Section as part of 

the Supervisor Development 

Unit. 

The underlying driver of 

MDP is to provide the 

leadership, supervision and 

management skills required 

to not only perform their 

duties at an optimal level, 

but also to progress the 

QPS towards being a better 

organisation as a whole. 

The MDP is designed as 

a distance educational 

program and the curriculum 

is comprised of academic 

based learning materials 

with a practical application 

to the Service. 

Senior Sergeant Alex 

Hodge, Officer in Charge 

of the Legal Studies Section, 

said levels 1 and 2, as well 

as Foundation Studies, had 

recently moved to an ‘open’ 

enrolment system. 

“This means students can 

enrol at any time and have 

12 months to successfully 

complete the assigned 

tasks. This allows greater 

flexibility to students, but 

more responsibility for them 

to complete their assignments 

within the timeframe,” Senior 

Sergeant Hodge said. 

“Another new initiative is 

the Management Studies 

in Policing 2 one-week 

residential workshop. This 

forms part of the management 

studies course for level 2, and 

is compulsory. The inaugural 

workshop will commence 

in October 2011, with one 

scheduled for each calendar 

month thereafter.” 

Officer in Charge 

Program 

The Officer in Charge (OIC) 

Program is a competencybased, 

distance education 

course that develops 

participants’ ability to better 

manage their roles and 

responsibilities as officers in 

charge. It provides practical 

and relevant training, taking 

into account students’ unique 

work environments. 

Senior Sergeant Gai 

Bolderrow of the OIC Section 

said the program was mainly 

aimed at Senior Constables 

and Sergeants. 

“The program is designed 

for current officers in charge 

or those one rank below who 

wish to become an officer 

in charge,” Senior Sergeant 

Bolderrow said. 

“It provides an alternative 

pathway for promotion, as 

participants who successfully 

complete one module are 

granted an exemption 

from one Management 

Development Program unit.” 

The course content develops 

strategic thinking, problem 

solving, analysis and an 

understanding of the 

Operational Performance 

Review process. 

Senior Sergeant Bolderrow 

said the OIC Program 

constantly received praise 

from past students who found 

Senior 

Sergeant 

Sergeant 

Senior 

Constable 

Constable 

the course relevant, practical 

and rewarding. One student 

wrote the following as part of 

the feedback process. 

“This program helped me 

immensely with the duties 

that I perform as officer 

in charge. The practical, 

no nonsense format was a 

refreshing change. Using 

the course material, I was 

able to identify and rectify 

deficiencies found at my 

station across a broad range 

of areas. 

“Most of the assessments 

that need to be completed 

for the course are also 

required as part of the station 

risk management or other 

procedures. In other words, 

you are not doing things just 

for the sake of passing the 

course and then never using 

it again. Your working papers 

and gained knowledge can 

then be incorporated into 

your station’s procedures for 

use immediately.” 

By Paula Hedeman, 



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Creating leaders who make 

a difference 

Leadership is important to 

success and the Queensland 

Police Service (QPS) is 

dependent on the abilities of 

strong, decisive and capable 

leaders who provide work 

units with a clear vision, 

inspire work performance 

and provide vital support 

to all staff. The Leadership 

Development Unit (LDU) 

recognises this need and aims 

to develop leaders who are 

equipped with the right tools 

to make a positive impact on 

their workplace. 

Photo supplied by Melanie Mather, Leadership and Development Unit 

The role of the LDU is to 

prepare participants for senior 

leadership roles within the 

QPS. This is achieved through 

the Management Studies in 

Policing 3, which is one of 

the capstone courses that 

comprise the Management 

Development Program. The 

Management Studies in 

Policing 3 course is delivered 

via a distance education 

component and a three week 

residential course. The LDU 

also co-ordinates executive 

level conferences using 

prominent and experienced 

keynote speakers to highlight 

innovative leadership 

practices. The next conference 

is due to be held in February 

2012. 

All QPS Senior Sergeants 

are eligible to participate 

in LDU courses. Course 

participants also include QPS 

staff members (AO6 and 

above), external participants 

from the Queensland 

Fire and Rescue Service, 

Queensland Ambulance 

Service, Australian Federal 

Police as well as international 

delegates from the Hong 

Kong Police Force, Maldives 

International emergency service delegates keen to progress as leaders draw on each other’s expertise during one of the 

courses run by the Leadership Development Unit. 

Police Force, Guangdong 

Police and the Shanghai 

Municipal Public Security 

Department. This diversity 

of participants provides a 

networking opportunity for 

participants and promotes the 

building of mutually beneficial 

partnerships with other 

organisations. 

The Management Studies in 

Policing 3 residential course 

is designed to assist middle 

managers to make the 

transition from operational 

level to a strategic level. The 

LDU draws on the knowledge 

of expert facilitators, senior 

police executives, corporate 

executives, leading academics 

and prominent sporting 

identities to explore issues of 

strategic management and 

leadership within a policing 

environment. 

The residential course is held 

at the Queensland Police 

Service Academy and also 

uses regional engagement 

visits to draw on the expertise 

of senior regional police 

as well as the expertise of 

inspirational business leaders 

from the private sector. 

During the three week 

residential program, the 

LDU is assisted through 

experienced visiting Fellows, 

who play an integral role in 

enhancing the experiences 

and learning opportunities 

of the participants. Visiting 

Fellows are role models and 

mentors to the students and 

provide them with support 

as well as provide them 

with examples of practical 

application of the course 

theory. The most recent 

visiting Fellow, Inspector Dave 

Robertson said the residential 

courses were an outstanding 

model that engaged students 

in a variety of leadership and 

management methodologies. 

Additionally all of the visiting 

fellows involved in the 

course noted what a valuable 

experience it was for their 

own development. 

The QPS has developed 

partnerships with several 

universities and credit 

obtained from completing the 


Program can be used 

to articulate into several 

university courses. Members 

who have completed the 


Program subjects will be 

granted up to 50 percent off 

a master’s degree. The LDU 

has a wealth of experience in 

liaising with those affiliated 

universities and assist QPS 

staff with enquiries about 

entering post graduate 

studies. 

By Melanie Mather, Leadership 

and Development Unit 


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Senior leaders 

step-up 

The step from a Senior Sergeant to an Inspector comes down to the dedication 

of the officer. 

Being a senior leader represents a leap in responsibility and expectations, 

requiring strong leadership and negotiation skills as well as a high degree of 

organisational insight. 

The Executive Development Unit (EDU) was established in April 2011 to 

support the professional development of police officers at and above the 

rank of Inspector and administrative officers at and above the level of AO7 or 

equivalent. This includes coordinating a range of external courses including 

those offered by the Australian Institute of Police Management and through the 

Public Service Commission. 

Senior Sergeant Howard Kemp, Manager of EDU, said one of the unit’s key 

developmental strategies was the Senior Leadership Course (SLC). 

“The course is designed to support senior leaders in making a smooth transition 

to this level, as well as to promote confidence and motivation,” Senior Sergeant 

Kemp said. 

“It provides direct access to senior executive members of the Service through 

the visiting mentor component, and helps participants understand what makes 

the organisation tick at a strategic level. 

“Participants are provided with key information regarding strategic issues, future 

directions and emerging issues and trends that may impact on the Service.” 

The unit has also developed a range of educational resources including a 

comprehensive website and Leadership ‘Short Shots’. The two-hour short shots 

are focused, practical development sessions on a variety of relevant topics in a 

concise and challenging format. They recognise the knowledge and skills senior 

leaders already have, and are conducted in a way that draws and builds on 

those foundations. 

“We’ve also had great feedback on our resource database from all ranks and 

levels,” Senior Sergeant Kemp said. 

“It includes information on employee engagement, Operational Performance 

Review priorities and a page dedicated to each of the Service’s four values— 

People, Performance, Partnerships and Professionalism. 

“Supporting our senior leaders with a range of resources helps improve their 

ability to look at problems clearly and really understand what the critical issues 

are. 

The EDU provides the tools and knowledge to help our senior leaders respond 

to the complex and challenging environment in which they work.” 

Senior Leadership 

Development Model 

The QPS has developed a Senior 

Leadership Development Model 

which provides a framework for 

the development of QPS senior 

leaders, both police and staff 

members. It has five components, 

as follows. 

Self 

Senior leaders need to have 

self awareness and take 

responsibility for their actions and 

development. 

Values 

Senior leaders need to embody 

and model the Service’s values 

and encourage staff to own and 

display them. 

Capabilities 

Senior leaders need to 

demonstrate the behaviours 

associated with the leadership 

capabilities. 

Action Orientation 

Senior leaders need to take an 

action orientated approach to 

enhance their ability to achieve 

desired outcomes. 

Strategic Position 

Senior leaders need to consider 

the environment in which they 

and the Service operate. 

Capability 

Inspect 

Achieve Results 

Environment 

Performance 

Drive and Integrity 

Inspire 

Communicate 

People 

Self 

Professionalism 

Partnerships 

Cultivate Relationships 

Strategic Thinking 

Innovate 

Purpose 

Initiate 

Culture 


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Staff members benefit from 

training opportunities 

Support staff for the 

Queensland Police 

Service (QPS) make up 

a crucial component of 

the organisation’s 14,000 

members. About 4200 

employees of the Service are 

not police officers however 

their skills and knowledge 

enhance the smooth running 

of the organisation, allowing 

more officers to remain in an 

operational capacity. 

The professional development 

of this group comes under 

the umbrella of the Staff 

Member Training and 

Development Unit (SMTDU). 

SMTDU Acting Manager 

Cassandra Bull said the unit 

had a unique role within the 

Service to develop and deliver 

nationally accredited training 

qualifications and other 

professional development 

training specifically for staff 

members. 

“As part of the Core 

Agreement 2009, the QPS 

is committed to provide 

nationally accredited 

qualifications to eligible staff 

members. Qualifications 

undertaken by staff members 

are recognised in all states of 

Australia,” Ms Bull said. 

“Unlike most other 

government departments, 

the QPS as a registered 

training organisation has 

been able to tailor many of its 

programs specifically to the 

organisations requirements, 

ensuring a more relevant 

and hands-on experience for 

students.” 

Ms Bull said participants 

were provided with learning 

materials written to meet QPS 

specific job roles and had 

access to tutors and assessors 

with an understanding of 

their workplace situation, 

which in turn supported their 

undertaking of assessment 

requirements. 

“Using QPS specific 

information to provide 

learning—rather than 

generic theory—provides a 

more meaningful learning 

experience. Assessment is 

work-based, so students are 

using their current job roles to 

determine competency. The 

organisation in turn benefits 

by seeing direct impact in the 

workplace,” Ms Bull said. 

Diploma of 

Management 

The Diploma of Management 

is one course currently 

available that offers a flexible 

learning approach, including 

a self paced learning mode. 

April Jenkinson, Client Service 

Officer at Policelink, recently 

graduated with the diploma, 

and said she was able to fasttrack 

her course, completing it 

in 18 months. 

“Being a mother and a shift 

worker, it’s often difficult to 

find time for yourself, let alone 

study. As SMTDU courses are 

distance based, I worked in 

my own time at my own pace, 

which allowed for a great 

amount of flexibility,” Ms 

Jenkinson said. 

“I could choose the order 

in which I completed the 

subjects, so I could often 

combine my work duties with 

my assignments. For example, 

as part of a work-based 

assessment I implemented 

a mentoring system to 

further develop employees’ 

mentoring skills and help 

new employees settle in to 

Policelink.” 

Ms Jenkinson said the 

Diploma of Management 

had already opened up new 


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Officers in being an effective link between police and multicultural communities. 

opportunities in her role as a 

client service officer. 

“The new skills and 

knowledge have been 

extremely beneficial for my 

career and I’m now acting 

in the role of team leader. I 

was interested in moving up 

the ladder, so it is was really 

good to see the advantages 

of the diploma so soon after 

graduating.” 

Police Liaison 

Officers 

Police Liaison Officers (PLO) 

are another component of 

the Service’s workforce that 

provides a vital link between 

police and multicultural 

communities. The SMTDU 

manages the Police Liaison 

Officer Initial Employment 

Training (PLOIET) program, 

enabling these officers to 

carry out their important role 

in promoting community 

safety. 

After a PLO has completed 

the PLOIET program, SMTDU 

provides opportunity for 

the newly appointed PLO 

to continue their learning 

experience by enrolling in the 

Certificate III in Public Safety 

(Police Liaison). The Certificate 

III is a distance learning model 

that consists of work-based 

activities. 

Wayne Heyer, Police Liaison 

Initial Employment Training 

Coordinator said that, to date 

there has been 269 PLOs 

enrolled to complete the 

Certificate III with 193 being 

issued with their Certificates 

by the QPS. 

“Feedback received from 

PLOs after completing the 

Certificate III indicated that 

the learning experience was 

very positive,” he said. 

“This Certificate has been 

successful in giving the 

opportunity for the QPS 

PLOs to be more effective 

in promoting public safety 

objectives as they work closely 

with their supervisors and 

peers.” 

He also said that the PLOIET 

program continues to be 

driven by the dedication, 

commitment and assistance 

that both the PLOs and their 

supervisors maintain while 

Certificate III studies are 

underway. 

By Paula Hedemann and 

Annabelle Martin, 




Education and Training Support Pro 

the driving force behind training inn 

36 

While many people don’t 

know much about the 


Support Program (ETSP), 

Director Ann Motteram said 

that almost everyone in the 

Queensland Police Service 

(QPS) would have had some 

contact with the program, 

probably without realising. 

“Our program is a bit like an 

engine room and underpins 

most of what happens in 

education and training within 

the QPS,” Ms Motteram said. 

“And just about everything 

we do is done in partnership 

with some other area of the 

Service.” 

The ETSP is the third main 

component of the Education 

and Training Command. 

Within ETSP, there are 

three units; the Curriculum 

Development and Review Unit 

PoliceBulletin363 

(CDRU), the Flexible Learning 

Support Unit (FLSU) and the 

Project Coordination Unit 

(PCU). There is a large variety 

of roles covered by these 

units under ETSP. 

The 60 staff in the program 

include educational 

designers, curriculum 

developers, evaluators, 

multimedia and web 

developers, audio visual 

technicians, project officers, 

desk top publishers, and 

system administrators, who 

administer Advance2, the 

QPS Learning Management 

System. The staff work in 

partnership with content 

experts from all areas of the 

QPS, including the academy 

programs. 

“We do a range of things. 

We coordinate the process 

for pay point progression 

for police, we develop 

Forensics fingerprint qualification 

Prior to the QPS becoming a Recognised Training Organisation 

(RTO), fingerprint officers wanting to reach expert status were 

required to undertake a five-year course of study. This was 

comprised of internal training and external study through the 

Canberra Institute of Technology to gain the Diploma of Public 

Safety (Forensic Investigation) required for accreditation as a 

fingerprint expert. 

Now as an RTO, the QPS is able to provide officers with nationally 

recognised qualifications which are achieved through a combination 

of formal study and practical on-the-job training. 

Senior Sergeant Adrian Robb is a member of the Curriculum 

Development and Review Unit within the ETSP, which completed 

a review of the training programs undertaken by Forensic Service 

Branch officers. The review focused on ensuring that officers 

attained a qualification which was both relevant to QPS forensic 

work and externally recognised. 

“Our scenes of crime officers and fingerprint experts undertake 

several years of practical on-the-job training before going on to 

gain a Diploma of Public Safety in Forensic Investigation through 

internal QPS training programs,” Senior Sergeant Robb said. 

“It’s a lot more convenient for our officers to be able to gain 

recognised qualifications internally while still being able to work fulltime, 

rather than having to study through an external provider. 

“It also means the qualification and training is more specific and 

specialised for the work our officers do and ensures the knowledge, 

skills and expertise throughout our forensics units is of the highest 

standards,” he said.

The team behind ETSP hard at work in the 

engine room of the Education and Training 

Command. 

Dangerous Liaisons 

Dangerous Liaisons training was developed as part of a comprehensive response by the 

QPS to the 2009 Crime and Misconduct Commission investigation into allegations of police 

misconduct (Operation Capri). The Commissioner initiated the strategy to ensure the key 

messages from the report were clearly disseminated and understood throughout the Service. 

One of the more significant components of the strategy required the urgent development 

of training materials to be delivered to a target audience of over 4000 members across the 

Service. This provided an excellent opportunity for the QPS to deliver high quality ethics 

based training using innovative adult learning concepts. 

A framework for the training was developed by senior officers from the Ethical Standards 

Command and developed into a unique ethics focused training package by the ETSP. The 

timeframes for the project were extremely short as it was important to deliver training as 

quickly as possible after the release of the report. 

The ETSP project team was briefed on 11 August 2009. By 9 October, the training materials 

had been developed and were presented for approval. Statewide delivery of the training 

sessions commenced in November and by 7 December, the initial evaluation was complete 

and nearly 4,000 QPS Officers in Charge, supervisors and plain clothes officers had attended 

the training sessions. 

ETSP was awarded a Commissioner’s Certificate for their work on this project and the 

training won the Gold Award in the 2010 QPS Awards for Excellence in the category of Police 

Education and Training. 

The report and subsequent training provided a focus for a number of ongoing activities within 

the QPS which are aimed at maintaining an ethical and professional work force. 

gram— 

ovation 

training for any significant 

new legislation or QPS policy 

such as the Safe Driving 

(Pursuits) Policy, we manage 

the Competency Acquisition 

Program (CAP) and we 

develop a range of flexible 

learning resources such as the 

online learning products,” Ms 

Motteram said. 

“We work with people in 

training offices all over the 

state, helping them through 

the QPS course approval 

process. This process ensures 

the quality of any education 

and training offered by 

the QPS, cuts back on the 

duplication of courses by 

alerting people to similar 

training that might already 

be available, and helps those 

who are new to the education 

and training world.” 

Ms Motteram said the QPS 

had the benefit of being 

a Registered Training 

Organisation (RTO), with the 

registration administered by 

ETSP. 

“This enables us to issue 

nationally recognised 

qualifications for a number 

of specific training areas. 

Whether nationally recognised 

or not, QPS training is high 

quality, but sometimes it is 

nice to get the piece of paper 

to recognise this. 

“Being an RTO has helped 

in other ways as well. For 

example, we’ve been able 

to reduce the amount of sea 

time our water police require 

for licensing by offering 

marine qualifications. It also 

means our scenes of crime 

and fingerprint experts can 

undertake practical, onthe-job 

training and gain 

recognised qualifications 

internally while still being 

able to work full time. We are 

also in a position to access 

significant external funding 

for our training as a result of 

being an RTO”. 

The quality and the nature 

of the training offered by the 

QPS is such that courses are 

often in high demand from 

other government agencies. 

The QPS is in a unique 

position to accommodate 

these requests, particularly 

where there is a benefit to 

community safety. 

“In partnership with TransLink, 

we developed the initial 

training for Senior Network 

Officers. These officers have 

some limited powers including 

the power to detain people 

in certain circumstances, 

so as well as the practical 

aspects of training it was 

important to include 

aspects of ethical behaviour 

and professionalism,” Ms 

Motteram said. 

“At the moment we’re 

helping Operations Support 

Command to develop 

consistent training for Police 

Communications Centre staff 

in response to the flood crisis 

review. 

“We’re also working with 

Ethical Standards Command 

to identify the training 

required for Australian 

Federal Police, who will soon 

take full responsibility of 

policing of major airports in 

Queensland.” 

The innovative and diligent 

work of ETSP staff has been 

recognised numerous times 

over the years at the QPS 

Awards for Excellence. In 

2010, they won gold for 

their work in relation to the 

Dangerous Liaisons ethics 

training package, silver for 

their multicultural awareness 

training and bronze for 

their Advance2 training 

administration system. 

This year, they won silver for 

the OAK training package— 

the Operational Assistance 

Kit to refresh officers who 

have been off the road for 

an extended period about 

processes and policy. While 

they have been recognised 

with awards for training in 

the past, this was the first 

time they have been given 

an award in the category of 

Police Operations. 

By Hayley-Clare Story, 



Westgate Academy, the 

future hub of police training 

Nestled on 350 acres on the 

banks of the Brisbane River 

at Wacol, the foundations 

of change are underway 

for what will become 

Queensland’s new police 

academy, taking pride of 

place in educational training 

and leader development. 

Due for completion in 2014, 

the Westgate Academy will 

ensure theory and practice 

remain interconnected to 

achieve the highest levels 

of operational competence, 

Photo by Matt Rigby, Media and Public Affairs Branch 

A cricket pavilion originally constructed in 1896 and moved to its present location in 

1910 is one of 19 heritage listed buildings to be refurbished on the Westgate site. 

Photo by Sergeant Mick Strudwick, Driver Training Unit 

A wildlife corridor supporting local kangaroos and other fauna has been 

retained and landscaping will incorporate local native plant species. 

on par with leading training 

institutes of the world such as 

the FBI Academy Quantico 

in the USA and Tulliallan and 

Bramshill in the UK. 

Westgate Project Manager 

Superintendent Danny Baade 

said Westgate would be a 

centre of excellence and 

an inspiration, allowing the 

Queensland Police Service 

(QPS) to remain at the cutting 

edge of contemporary 

policing. 

“The $450 million state 

government funded project 

will allow 19 heritage listed 

buildings to be refurbished, 

and the construction of 

four ‘green star’ designed 

buildings, which will house 

academic and operational 

hubs including two residential 

suites, twin indoor firearm 

ranges and a scenario training 

village,” Superintendent 

Baade said. 

“The driver training 

facility was completed in 

November 2010 and is now 

fully functional. In 2013, the 

scenario village and twin 

indoor firearm ranges will be 

operational, followed by the 

academy in 2014. 

“The new academy will have 

the facilities to compliment 

modern educational practices 

and curricula with the 

additional benefit of being in 

one location easily accessible 

by public transport.” 

The Academic Hub will 

incorporate recruit training, 

operational skills training 

and ongoing officer and 

staff development, and will 

include the now completed 

driver training facilities and 

soon to be operational 

firearms ranges. The Centre 

of Excellence will facilitate 

research, innovation and 

knowledge exchange. 

Superintendent Baade said he 

envisaged the facility would 

attract high calibre recruits 

through the application 

of advanced learning and 

operational training models. 

“Graduates of the new police 

academy will benefit from 

the facility when establishing 

their careers and continue 

an ongoing association of 

learning. 

“This will contribute to the 

greater improvement of the 

services the QPS offers.” 

A Centre of Forensic 

Investigation will be 

established within the 

complex, ensuring advances 

in forensic techniques are 

integrated into police training 

to accelerate the operational 

policing benefits derived from 

new investigative techniques 

and technologies. 

The amenity and utility of the 

academy will be enhanced by 

its setting amongst the natural 

topography of the land, which 

includes bushland, ravines and 

a 2.8 hectare freshwater dam. 

The academy will also have 

the capacity for a Command 

and Control Centre, both for 

training and when the need 

arises to respond to large 

scale incidents and disasters. 

As a demonstration of the 

Service’s commitment to 

sustainability, the academy has 

included innovative features 

in its design to reduce its 

carbon emissions and reliance 

on energy. Photovoltaic solar 

panels will be installed on the 

roofs and will supplement 

mains power and offset 

some of the academy’s 

energy requirements. Water 

harvesting and re-use will 

occur via the academy’s dam, 

integrated water tanks and 

onsite water recycling. 

A wildlife corridor supporting 

local kangaroos and other 

fauna has been retained and 

landscaping will incorporate 

local native plant species. 

By Karen Downey, 

Westgate Project 

38 


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