History of the Queensland Police

[1] As policing reached across the State more and more stations were opened usually in small towns of less than 300 people or in places that were growing due to the building of train lines or the discovery of gold.

[1] The first honour given to any Queensland police officer was a Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal awarded to Constable James O"Brien for saving the life of a nine-year-old boy at Ipswich.

[1] During the Burketown cyclone on 5 March, Sergeant John Ferguson's wife kept a lamp burning in the window of the courthouse and her beacon drew many people to the refuge during the storm.

[4] Senior Sergeant Martin Breene and Constable Joseph Waters displayed energy and perseverance during the shearer's strikes by following and preventing "fire gangs" from doing damage at Lammermoor pastoral station.

[1] Acting Sergeant John Raphael Thompson was paid £10 extra to attend to photographic work which included mug shots and crime scene photography.

[1] On 30 March, Constable George Doyle was shot and killed while attempting to capture the Kenniff brothers in Upper Warrego, who had a long history of stealing cattle and horses.

[1] Retired Sergeant 2/c William Lynam had the gruesome job of burying seventeen Ingham flood victims, men, women, and children of three Italian families "on the nearest patch of dry land I could find".

Acting Sergeant Frank Conaty and Constables George Schnitzerling, Jens Fredericksen and Arnold Still made an extensive search but fail to find any trace of the child.

[14] The Modus Operandi Section was established by Police Commissioner Carroll as a central repository for criminal records regarding their habits or manner of working.

[16][17] During World War II (1939 to 1945) the Police Commissioner worked in cooperation with the Australian Defence Department to provide protection of civilian lives, public buildings and communications lines.

[6] On 1 May the awarding of the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, originally proclaimed by King George VI in 1951, was extended to include the states of Australia by Queen Elizabeth II.

Sometime in the late 1960s the illuminated word POLICE, was produced in white letters on a black background, and in the mid 1980s a blue light was added to the top for more effect.

[1] On 19 February Constable Gregory Olive was shot in the chest at close range and killed when he knocked on a front door to make inquiries at Kelvin Grove, Brisbane.

[6] The Juvenile Aid Bureau (JAB) was established to guide potential youthful law breakers on the right path and prevent them from incurring a court conviction.

[18] On 26 June the Crime Prevention Bureau commences operation, for the purpose of providing two police officers in a full-time capacity to impart security and personal safety advice to community members.

[24] Two days after Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin in the Northern Territory on 24–26 December, twelve Queensland police officers arrive to lend a hand.

[1] In January, police pilot Sergeant 2/c Ron Rooke successfully carries out flood relief operations in the Camooweal, Burketown, Hamilton, Boulia and Doomadgee areas by dropping several hundred kilograms of food to stranded motorists.

[1] Queensland Police were officially linked to a central Finger-print Bureau in Sydney, which gives computer access to millions of prints throughout Australia and overseas.

[1] The Transport, Radio and Electronics Sections, Brisbane Mobile Patrols, and Traffic Accident Investigation Squad (TAIS) relocate to Alderley from the Petrie Terrace Police Depot.

[1] In September the new Police Communications Centre (PCC) benefits from a two-million-dollar ESCORT computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system that feeds instant information to mobile vehicles and foot patrols.

The inaugural 1991 winner was the Youth Assistance Panel project based in Townsville, joint initiative targeting petty juvenile offenders to provide a last chance before invoking the court system.

[1] In response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the concept of police liaison officers (PLOs) was initiated on Thursday Island and later trialled in Townsville.

[1] Thirteen Queensland Disaster Victim Identification Squad officers were deployed to Bali, as part of an Australian contingent, to assist the Indonesian Government following the terrorist attack.

[1] The mobile data pilot for smartphones and tablets, dubbed QLiTEs, was rolled in October as part of the move to provide the technology required by police to keep the community safe.

[42] Coronial findings in March 2023 found there may have been some contributing systematic organisational factors, including failing to follow up on earlier reports of firearm activity in the area, and a 'significant failure of leadership' to assign a tactical commander during the pursuit.

[44] The program was 'to better align resources based on capability and service delivery', and to continue 'to move towards a policing model that is focussed on prevention, disruption, investigation and response'.

[47][48] The $52.8 million Bob Atkinson Operational Capabilities Centre (BAOCC) at the developing Wacol campus of the Queensland Police Service Academy opened on 28 September 2020.

[58] After a reluctance to appear, Commissioner Carroll appeared before the Commission on Thursday, 19 August 2022, where misogynistic comments of a superintendent and a deputy commissioner were reported,[59] disbelief in complaints to be genuine of sexual assaults by female complainants, and the staffing to the February 2021 renamed-and-relocated Domestic, Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Command was increased by four members to total 27 staff whereas the media section had been increased to 38 staff.

A November 2023 report by the Queensland Audit Office found the Service did not have a strategic planning for workforces and the growth target was not informed by evidence-based calls-for-service demands.

[78][79] To address recruiting issues, the state government offered incentives of up to A$20,000 towards HECS or HELP tertiary education fees, or A$20,000 for interstate and overseas officer applicants to relocate; additional to increased cost-of-living allowances and free Academy accommodation.