Townsville Police Academy: All 55 new graduates to be stationed in Queensland’s north, far north
From a cop with a century of policing in his blood to ex-marketers, miners, and accountants — meet some of the 55 fresh recruits ready to take on crime in Queensland’s north.
Townsville
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For over a century, the Kinbachers have been a policing powerhouse in Queensland—and now, Jesse Kinbacher is the latest recruit to don the uniform.
Policing runs deep in Jesse’s blood. His great-grandfather, Edward Kinbacher, first joined the Queensland Police Service in 1924, rising to Sub-Inspector before retiring in 1960.
His grandfather, John Kinbacher, served from 1954 until 1989, while his uncle, Ed Kinbacher, dedicated over 40 years to the force before retiring in 2022.
Jesse’s father, Andrew Kinbacher, has been serving in Townsville since 2000 — and now, Jesse himself is set to be sworn in, continuing a family tradition spanning a century.
“To quote my Uncle Ed, it’s down to a complete lack of imagination. Just copy the next one,” Jesse joked about why so many of his family had joined the force.
But in reality, his passion for helping people was the real reason he followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle, both detectives.
His dad kept his advice simple: “Just have fun and enjoy it. It’s a great job, and you can make a difference.”
Jesse will officially begin his policing career stationed in Townsville this week, joining 54 other recruits graduating from the Townsville Police Academy on Thursday.
The majority of all 55 graduates will be based across the state’s north, bringing fresh energy to the frontline.
Sian French and Samantha Menteith will also be joining the ranks in Townsville.
Constable French, a former stevedore and miner, is drawn to the adrenaline and practical nature of the job. “I like a real hands-on approach,” she said, already eyeing a future in the Tactical Crime Squad.
Meanwhile, Constable Menteith, a former marketing specialist, was driven to change careers after the tragic loss of her parents. “I wanted to be that support for someone else during the worst time of their life like I was offered,” she said.
For Narender Kolan policing has been a lifelong dream inspired by his late grandfather who was an officer in India.
“I had a passion to become a police officer when I was young,” he said, now thrilled to be making it a reality stationed in Gordonvale.
“My family are very proud right now and I’m happy, it’s my dream job.”
Lachlan Giarrusso, a former accountant, realised his passion for helping others when he began working to support vulnerable people through the NDIS.
“I always wanted to join the police but didn’t think I was good at talking to people until I started that job,” he said.
“I threw my hat in the ring and applied—and have loved every minute of it.”
He is looking forward to being stationed in Mackay.
Meanwhile, Deng Mading, a former security and corrections staffer, took his time to build experience before finally stepping into policing and is now eager to relocate to Mount Isa.
“I’ve been wanting to join the police for a while, but I needed to build up myself to a competent level where I can deal with a variety of people,” he said. “Doing those jobs definitely did help me with dealing with different situations and people from a variety of backgrounds.”
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Originally published as Townsville Police Academy: All 55 new graduates to be stationed in Queensland’s north, far north
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