Two Queensland Police Service (QPS) officers have received the QBank Everyday Heroes Award for their work in establishing a fishing program for at-risk youth in the St George area.
QPS Constable Daniel Burton and Police Liaison Officer (PLO) Chelsea Beardmore developed the Blue Lures fishing program, which targets at-risk youth aged eight to 17 in the local community.
"Inspired by the community's passion for fishing, we aimed to create a program that benefits the kids while building trust between them and the police," Constable Daniel Burton said, who moved to St George in 2023 with his family.
"Blue Lures promotes community engagement, personal growth and respect by providing a safe space where kids can learn new skills, enjoy the outdoors and form positive connections."
With around 40 participants per session and more than 250 individual engagements so far, the program has significantly strengthened community ties.
PLO Beardmore said Blue Lures has helped strengthen positive relationships between QPS officers and community members.
"The program has had an incredible impact on the kids in St George, you can see it just in our day-to-day interactions with them," PLO Beardmore said.
"They want to talk to us now and realise we're just normal people - they want to have a conversation with us. I feel so proud of what we've been able to accomplish."
Blue Lures was developed between the QPS, Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health, and Lifeline Darling Downs.
The success of Blue Lures, along with other QPS-led initiatives such as Basketball After Dark, highlights the importance of community engagement in reducing youth offending, which has dropped in the area of St George by 39 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
The QBank Everyday Heroes Awards acknowledge the exceptional achievements of personnel and volunteers from the QPS, Fire, Health, Ambulance, Corrections, Public Services, and Education.
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