- The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is leveraging outreach trials to strengthen access to community policing services.
- The trial will soon be underway at Lamb Island (Redland Bay Division); the trial at Beachmere (Caboolture Division) is already underway; the Mapoon (Weipa Division) trial is set to begin in 2025.
- Each outreach site will be evaluated for effectiveness and efficiency in 2025-2026 at the end of the 12-month trial.
The QPS is establishing outreach trials in three diverse communities in order to strengthen accessibility and serviceability in geographically different areas.
The trials at Lamb Island and in Beachmere and Mapoon will provide important insights into how diverse communities access policing services.
Insights gathered will help inform the operational needs of communities with similar geographical challenges, such as distance or being part of an island community.
Communities within the trial can expect to see more opportunities to connect with police through community engagement and proactive high-visibility policing.
The QPS' existing 'borderless' policing model is being enhanced by offering policing services in a more localised and focussed manner, tailored to those communities.
The Beachmere outreach was the first site to be established, with Lamb Island to soon follow and the Mapoon outreach coming in 2025.
These trials will be subject to an evaluation after a 12-month period. This will allow the QPS to understand the effectiveness and efficiency and help inform future trials.
As stated by Police Minister Mark Ryan:
"It goes without saying that the Queensland Police Service continues to be an innovator when it comes to the delivery of policing services.
"I commend the Queensland Police Service on establishing this outreach trial and I have every confidence that this model will enhance policing services in these communities.
"The outreach trial reflects the need to provide localised police services that will cater to the specific needs and unique challenges of different locations and environments.
"Community safety is the Government's priority, so although a frontline police service is already delivered in these areas, I understand that the outreach trial will make policing services a lot more accessible and improve serviceability for the area."
As stated by the Member for Redlands, Kim Richards:
"The Outreach trial is a wonderful initiative that I'm looking forward to welcoming on Lamb Island.
"The initiative will allow for a more consistent policing presence on the island, enhancing community safety."
As stated by the Member for Pumicestone, Ali King:
"The Outreach Pilot trial is a fantastic addition to the policing capabilities in Beachmere and will go a long way towards improving community safety in my electorate.
"The new outreach service means more police will be more visible in the community, more of the time."
As stated by the Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui:
"I welcome the addition of the Outreach trial in the Mapoon community, which will help to improve community safety in the area."
As stated by Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski:
"The QPS delivers frontline service to a wide range of operational environments, including metropolitan, urban, suburban, regional, and remote areas.
"Each community is unique and this outreach trial shows our commitment to continually improving and adapting our services to support the community.
"These outreach trials complement our Mobile Police Beats and our borderless policing model, which allows police to operate anywhere and at any time, to enhance community safety."
