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policerecruit.com.auJuly 2017

General Duties police officers are the frontline of the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the people the community turns to in times of need. To become a General Duties officer, 18 months of training is required that includes the Recruit Training Program at the academy followed by 12 months of on-the-job training in the First Year Constable (FYC) program. The Service recruits continuously and accepts applications throughout the year – it does not recruit for a particular intake. Recruit Training Training at the Queensland Police Service Academy (QPSA) equips recruits with knowledge of the law and the practical skills to professionally and confidently handle the range of police duties. Recruit training is conducted either at the Brisbane or Townsville academy campus. Prior to an intake, new recruits and family members are provided with an overview of training requirements and expectations.

While at the police academy, recruits:• are employed under a Contract of Employment • study full time, and • attend Monday-Friday, although some training occurs

outside regular hours.

Both academy campuses have a ‘live out’ policy, however a recruit can apply to live on campus, which will be assessed on the individual’s circumstances.

First Year Constable (FYC) Every Constable starts as a General Duties officer to ensure they are given the knowledge and skills to be professional and competent police officers. First Year Constables are based at larger training centres for 12 months and partnered with experienced officers, under the guidance of a training officer.

This is to ensure recruits:• are equipped with the skills and abilities to be a police

officer • gain a full understanding of the policing role, and • gather the knowledge and skills to become a

professional and competent police officer.

The JobUpon academy graduation, recruits are a uniformed Constable with full police powers whose role in General Duties is important and requires maturity, life experience, social awareness and strength of character.

General Duties police officers are required to:• carry accoutrements, including a firearm and

capsicum spray, and • work day and night shifts that include weekends

and public holidays.

New Constables attend the same incidents as experienced officers such as burglaries, stolen vehicles, noise

complaints, fires, street disturbances, traffic incidents, assaults, deaths/suicides and domestic violence incidents.

Work as a General Duties officer also involves receiving shift handovers, checking email, paperwork, interviewing suspects, and taking Traffic Incident Reports.

Police officers attend any job they are tasked, regardless of gender, height or weight. Jobs are assigned by Police Communications and prioritised by urgency. Low priority incidents may require a patrol only, while urgent responses may require a police vehicle’s lights and sirens to be activated.

PostingsPolice Officers must be prepared to serve anywhere in Queensland. The QPS is a state-wide agency and new officers are assigned to stations where they are needed, which could be in metropolitan or provincial cities, coastal areas, inland rural towns, or remote communities. While at the academy, recruits receive a list of available training centres within a district to nominate their preferred location for FYC training. Towards the end of their FYC program, Constables nominate their preferred stations from a list of available stations (subject to change), where they continue to serve as General Duties officers for a tenure period of three years. The QPS will take personal circumstances into consideration when posting officers, however, it is essential that police are stationed in accordance with Service and community need. After completing General Duties tenure, officers can apply for vacancies in other regions or specialist units.

EntitlementsRecruits receive $1,570.38* gross per fortnight, which is 70 per cent of a First Year Constable’s base salary. First Year Constables receive $70,820* per annum ($58,529pa + 21% Operational Shift Allowance (OSA)) QPS police officers also receive:

• six weeks recreation leave per year• paid parental leave• generous superannuation entitlements, and• access to training and educational opportunities.

Remote area servicePolice officers who serve in remote northern and western areas of Queensland receive additional benefits that include:

• more recreation leave• isolated locality allowances• travel concessions• housing in some locations and other attractive

incentives.* Wage effective from 1 July 2017 (indicative figure only that may change without notice).

GENERAL DUTIES POLICE OFFICER

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policerecruit.com.auJuly 2017

The Queensland Police Service offers many specialised and diverse roles. Generally, four years after academy graduation, police can apply for specialist positions in the following areas:

• Academy• Alcohol and drug awareness• Arson• Breath analysis• Casino crime• Child abuse investigation• Child safety• Computer crime• Coronial support• Corrective Services investigation• Covert and surveillance investigation• Community safety and crime prevention • Criminal investigation• Cross cultural liaison• Disaster management• Disaster victim identification• Dive Squad• Document examination• Dog Squad• Domestic violence• Drug investigation• Electronic evidence examination• Electronic recording

• Explosive ordnance response• Fingerprints• Forensic and DNA services• Forensic computer examination• Forensic crash investigation• Fraud and corporate crime

investigation• Graffiti Taskforce• Hi-tech crime investigation• Homicide investigation• Illicit laboratory investigation • Major event planning• Media and public affairs• Missing persons• Mounted Unit• Negotiator• Operational legal advice• Organised crime investigation• Photographics• Police communications• Proceeds of crime• Property crime investigation• Prosecutions• Prostitution enforcement• Public safety response• Railway Squad• Recruiting• Right to information and privacy• Roadside drug testing• Scenes of crime• School based policing• Scientific services• Security intelligence• Special emergency response• Stock and rural crime investigation• Traffic and road safety• Watchhouse• Water Police

POLICE IN SPECIALIST ROLES