Judge Dredd Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 Greetings, any UK bobbies considering the move? I sent their recruitment an email asking some basic questions but if others have any information/advice to share, perhaps we can make this topic a bit of a resource hub for applicants/hopefuls. I've been in 9 years and was actually hoping for a recruitment drive back in 2016/17/18 (after which I sort of gave up hope). I'm now married with 2 children and recently bought a house, so ideally I would have really preferred to move 2-3 years ago, but it is what it is. Anyone here a former UK cop or knows any former UK cops who are officers in Queensland and can offer any info on what the basic differences are in daily operational duties would be greatly appreciated. Kinds regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 Hi, my colleague's husband has recently qualified as a police officer and his first posting is in Charters Towers, which is in northern Queensland. In the same way that teachers are usually expected to complete country service when they first qualify, it seems that the same applies in the police force and your first posting is likely to be somewhere quite remote. He's living away from home at the moment, which isn't ideal because like yourself they have a young family. My understanding is that his accommodation is provided, so at least that isn't an additional financial burden they need to worry about. From what I can gather he isn't really enjoying it very much. Lots of cases of assault and domestic violence to deal with, mostly alcohol-fuelled and within the indigenous community. I can imagine that being a bobby in the UK isn't a walk in the park these days, so maybe this is the type of thing you're already used to dealing with on a regular basis. I'd just be mindful that if you end up living in a remote location, there may not be much for you and your family to do during your free time. Sorry I can't provide a more insightful perspective, but hopefully someone who is actually a police officer will read your post and comment. Here are some crime statistics for Charters Towers, so you can see what I'm referring to. https://safesuburbs.com.au/qld-is-charters-towers-safe/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Dredd Posted November 3, 2023 Author Share Posted November 3, 2023 Hi InnerVoice, thank you for the reply. Yes, a rural posting in a new country and one as massive as Australia would be a big struggle with a young family. I have emailed the QPS recruitment asking if international recruits are de facto assigned to specific areas, that way I can start to research about the possible posting locations. Unfortunately policing in England is very much a losing game. I can handle the criminality and the victims, what I have found deflating is the complete lack of punishment for serial offenders, the constant and deliberate sabotaging of our role by the government and the prosecutors to prevent us from putting offenders before the court as they are "too busy and the prisons too full" all the while being forced to deal with offensive Facebook posts over burglaries, drugs, criminal damage etc. I'm hoping to speak to officers who can give me information about the logistics of how police there investigate and prosecute crime and what the general sentencing 'culture' is with the courts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 36 minutes ago, Judge Dredd said: Hi InnerVoice, thank you for the reply. Yes, a rural posting in a new country and one as massive as Australia would be a big struggle with a young family. I have emailed the QPS recruitment asking if international recruits are de facto assigned to specific areas, that way I can start to research about the possible posting locations. Unfortunately policing in England is very much a losing game. I can handle the criminality and the victims, what I have found deflating is the complete lack of punishment for serial offenders, the constant and deliberate sabotaging of our role by the government and the prosecutors to prevent us from putting offenders before the court as they are "too busy and the prisons too full" all the while being forced to deal with offensive Facebook posts over burglaries, drugs, criminal damage etc. I'm hoping to speak to officers who can give me information about the logistics of how police there investigate and prosecute crime and what the general sentencing 'culture' is with the courts. You're welcome, although hopefully someone in the job will be able to paint a clearer picture of what it's really like over here. I'm a high school teacher and I imagine that there are parallels between teaching and policing in that while the job over here is far from a bed of roses, working conditions and pay are better than they are in the UK. My impression is that you're treated with a bit more respect over here too. I don't recall hearing people 'police bashing', complaining about 'police brutality' or banging on about their rights every 5 minutes like they do in the UK. You also get to carry a gun, which is a bit like having a nuclear weapon - you're probably never going to use it, but everyone knows it's there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishDigger Posted November 5, 2023 Share Posted November 5, 2023 (edited) How about Birdsville? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-18/birdsvilles-only-police-officer-to-retire/6394876 or Charters Towers or Illfracombie Edited November 5, 2023 by IrishDigger Added Photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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