Eighty-nine new recruits are celebrating the beginning of their challenging and rewarding careers within the Queensland Police Service (QPS), after graduating at the Oxley Police Academy.
The new First Year Constables (FYC) were officially inducted into the QPS today by Police Minister Mark Ryan, Commissioner Katarina Carroll and Assistant Commissioner Mark Kelly, after completing 36-weeks at the academy where they underwent extensive training in physical skills, driving, firearms and field craft.
Commissioner Carroll congratulated the 89 new First Year Constables on the level of commitment shown throughout their training and noted the important life skills they will each bring to their new careers.
"Your dedication and commitment to training can be attributed to the high standards you hold for yourselves," she said.
"It is wonderful to see how many of you have relatives currently or previously in policing, showing your generational commitment to protecting and serving your communities.
"All of your unique backgrounds and experiences, alongside your new learned skills, will undoubtedly contribute to making you invaluable officers.
"Our job is like no other, and your dedication to the Service ensure Queenslanders are kept safe and protected."
Over the next 12 months, the FYCs will undertake a further station-based training, which will see them assessed on their management of a range of real-world policing scenarios.
These skills will provide essential value across the sunshine State, as the graduates are deployed throughout Queensland to protect and serve communities.
Among today's graduates, Recruit Ricardo Beira was nominated by his peers for the Leadership Award for his outstanding qualities of team-work, academy spirit, organisation and responsibility.
Recruit Beira spoke of his excitement having now completed his training, and becoming a member of the QPS family.
"After serving 13 years as a Rifleman in the Australian Defence Force, I wanted a career change that allowed me to continue protecting and serving my community," he said.
"It was extremely rewarding to learn while bonding with the other recruits, and I am so glad to be walking out of here confident in the skills of QPS's newest First Year Constables.
"I am so excited to be starting this new journey, with the opportunity to positively impact in the lives of those we serve."
The cohort come from a variety of professional backgrounds, bringing valuable skills and experience from industries both within and outside of Australia including defence, nursing and volunteering.
Of this year's 89 graduates, 16 of them come from policing families who are currently or have previously protected and served their communities.
This graduating squad is the first to graduate following the launch of QPS' largest recruitment campaign 'Challenging. Rewarding. Policing.'
QPS recruits are paid to train at the Academy, earning a full-time salary and receiving a cost of living allowance whilst undertaking their training and development.
A career within the Queensland Police Service is like no other. From protecting, responding, and investigating, to supporting, rescuing and learning – the sheer variety of roles make it both a challenging and rewarding career.
As a police officer, you can have one career that has endless possibilities. Now really is the best time to join.
Visit PoliceRecruit.qld.gov.au to kickstart your policing career and make a positive impact in your community.
