QUEENSLAND Police recruitment has hit an all-time high with the number of recruits in training hitting the highest level on record.
With 587 recruits currently being put through their paces at the police academies in Brisbane and Townsville, Queensland Police Service’s (QPS) frontline numbers will continue to grow.
The strengthened recruitment pipeline follows the launch of the QPS’ largest ever recruitment marketing campaign, ‘Challenging, Rewarding, Policing’ as well as a raft of attractive incentives.
These incentives included a special cost of living allowance on top of the current recruit wage, free accommodation for recruits living at police academies, $20,000 towards the relocation costs of interstate and overseas applicants who are serving or recently served police officers and up to $20,000 towards eligible HECS debts for successful police recruit graduates.
Queensland Police Service Commissioner Katarina Carroll said recruitment for the service currently is better than it has ever been with over 1,600 applicants.
“We are in a good position when it comes to recruitment, but I acknowledge we still have a long way to go,” she said.
“We are committed to getting the right people to ensure we have the very best applicants to represent and serve our communities.
“By strengthening our recruitment pipeline and enhancing our staffing and retention efforts, we are investing in our officers’ success and, in turn, creating a safer Queensland for everyone.
“A career in policing is a career like no other, the sheer variety of roles, skills, situations and moments in a vast state like ours makes it such a uniquely challenging and rewarding career for everyone to consider”.
This week, 14 officers completing the Police Abridged Competency Education (PACE) program will be sworn-in as QPS officers after serving in various policing jurisdictions nationally and internationally – some of the first to receive the new incentives.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said the bar has been raised with QPS’s recruitment program.
“Despite an intensely competitive labour market, Queensland Police is leading the way with significant interest in people applying to join the QPS.
“Police do an incredibly important job in keeping our community safe, and a well-resourced, fully equipped, and well-trained police service is essential for addressing the evolving needs of our community.
“We are investing $87.5 million over 5 years to support the largest ever police recruitment drive, to attract applicants who are ready to take on both the challenges and rewards of a fulfilling career as a police officer.”
If you would like to join the police service, you can find out more here.
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