Qld police recruit foreign officers under visa deal

Queensland will ease restrictions on foreign officers to recruit up to 500 police a year for five years from the Commonwealth.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll and Police Minister Mark Ryan in Toowoomba last week. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The state government has struck a deal with the Commonwealth to access hundreds of international recruits to bolster its police force.

The new labour agreement will allow the Queensland Police Service to recruit up to 500 cops a year for five years without the requirement to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Approvals are restricted to current police officers serving foreign forces and will be required to complete training before embarking on their first year in the constable program at various stations across the state.

Police Minister Mark Ryan described the agreement as a “win-win”, and the broadest labour deal of its kind for international recruits in the country.

“It’s an unprecedented opportunity for the QPS to significantly expand the diversity of its workforce, while providing a unique opportunity for people around the world to join a world-class police organisation,” he said.

“This new labour agreement shows the joint dedication of the Queensland government and QPS to remove barriers for experienced talent to come into the organisation.

“The ability to recruit beyond Australia’s borders will strengthen the QPS’s efforts in recruiting police officers for the state.”

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the state was already an attractive destination for international recruits but this deal will remove barriers for those considering the move.

“With this new agreement, I expect interest from international police officers to greatly increase,” she said.

It was hoped the new recruitment strategy would provide much-needed relief for the police force, with Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers saying “we have been acutely aware police recruiting needs to be a priority”.

“We have been working with government to develop new ideas to attract applicants,” he said.

“Five-hundred additional police each year for the next five years, bringing a range of different experiences and skill sets, will be greatly appreciated amongst those already on the frontline.”

The agreement is similar to a deal struck with the West Australian government, Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said, but the Queensland agreement included approvals for a significantly higher number of international recruits.

Officers from New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada were likely to be targeted to join QPS but Mr Ryan said there were no limits on the nationalities capable of applying with the hope a broad range of cultures would join the force.

The successful applicants with comparable experience to Queensland officers will be trained under the existing police abridged competency education (PACE) program, while other recruits will be required to complete the regular training process.