After a journey of ups and downs, Senior Sergeant Jacinta Pannowitz was recently promoted to Officer in Charge (OIC) at Loganholme Station, Queensland Police say.
Jacinta, also known as Jay to her friends and colleagues, will be the first female OIC in Logan. Jay is no stranger to the Logan community. She grew up in housing commission in Kingston with her mother and younger brother, and attended Marsden State High School.
Soon after graduating high school, Jay found herself working for the Queensland Police Service (QPS) as an administrative officer for six years. It was during this time that Jay not only met her now husband Grahame, who was an officer, but also decided to join the service in 1998.
After graduating from the academy, it came to no surprise that Jay asked to commence her first year within the Logan District. It was here where she built friendships with her peers, which ultimately cemented Jay’s decision to accept a position as general duties constable at Browns Plains Station.
Within the first five months of Jay’s confirmation, she was involved in a serious departmental traffic incident. Jay broke her lower back, hip, pelvis and legs. She then had to learn how to walk again. Later that year, after extensive rehabilitation, Jay was able to walk unassisted down the aisle for her wedding to her fiancée Grahame.
In 2002, Jay was selected for a plain-clothes constable position within Logan District Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB). She found out she was pregnant the day after accepting the position, and therefore withdrew from the offer.
During 2004-2012, Jay returned to work and operated within Logan District CIB. During this time, she was a finalist in the ‘Most Outstanding Female Investigator’ award for the Australasian Council of Women in Policing (ACWAP) awards with her colleague Detective Sergeant Lorraine Burkin.
In 2012, Jay was promoted to Sergeant and started her six year stint at Browns Plains Police Station. It was at this stage in Jay’s career that she realised that she wanted to aim to become an OIC of a station and, in particular, within the Logan District. Through numerous relieving opportunities, Jay scored her Senior Sergeant appointment, becoming the first female OIC within the Logan District.
Chief Superintendent Ben Marcus said Senior Sergeant Jay Pannowitz has had a unique journey through the QPS and it has placed her in a distinctive position to really look after her team.
"Having held every role from Administration Officer to Officer in Charge, she is able to understand the pressures we all experience," Chief Superintendent Marcus said.
"Being an OIC in Logan is no mean feat and being the first female station OIC is a real achievement and we are extremely proud of her."
When asked why she had stayed within Logan District for her whole career, she said her intake were told at the academy that Logan was a unique policing environment that would guarantee exposure to a wide range of policing incidents.
"I certainly found that to be the case," Jay said.
"But for me, it is the comradery that exists within Logan District, which makes me want to turn up every day.
"I’ve been very fortunate to serve here."
There is no doubt after hearing Jay’s journey through the QPS that she is not only qualified for her newly appointed position, but also passionate about the officers and the community she serves. Her story is inspiring and is a true example of the important role woman play within the Queensland Police Service.
