Meet the new top cop taking the reins in North Queensland

She’s the new face of policing in North Queensland, and Assistant Commissioner Virginia Nelson is wasting no time making her mark. Here are the key issues on her radar.

Virginia Nelson, Assistant Commissioner for Northern Command at Mundingburra Station. Picture: Natasha Emeck

She’s the new face of policing in North Queensland, and Assistant Commissioner Virginia Nelson is wasting no time making her mark.

With 35 years of experience in the Queensland Police Service, AC Nelson has taken the reins of the state’s largest police command and is ready to lead with purpose.

Based in Mundingburra, she now oversees Northern Command, a sprawling 500,000 square kilometre region that stretches from the Coral Sea to the Northern Territory border and as far south as Birdsville.

The command includes 34 police stations across the Townsville and Mount Isa districts, supported by more than 1,000 frontline and support staff.

Despite the scale of the task, the new AC has hit the ground running since stepping into the role in November.

“I’m very happy to be here,” she told the Townsville Bulletin from her new office.

“People often think that the focus of the world is in the south east corner, but to come up here is a thrill.”

For AC Nelson, this appointment isn’t just a step up the ladder — it’s a homecoming of sorts.

After years working in the Queensland Police Ethical Standards Command, she felt the pull to return to where her career began.

Virginia Nelson, Assistant Commissioner for Northern Command at Mundingburra Station. Picture: Natasha Emeck

“After 35 years, I lament that the more senior you get, the further away you get from the community piece,” she said.

“But that’s the bit that I love, which is why I asked to come back to the regions.”

Since stepping into the role, she’s undertaken a forensic review of crime trends, police resourcing, road trauma, and responses to domestic and family violence — and says she’s already impressed by the work being done in Townsville.

“The district has been punching above its weight,” she said.

“I’m really proud of the police here. They are so good with the work that they do when they go to really difficult jobs. I have observed their compassion but they’re also tough when they need to be.”

She recalled a recent flood emergency, where one officer prioritised the community before himself.

“He knew he’d had water through his house, and he did not go home to check his house. He helped other people … and then he helped his neighbours,” she said. “You don’t get that just in any kind of job.”

With a clear mandate for the future, AC Nelson has outlined her key focus areas: keeping the community safe, reducing crime, responding to domestic and family violence, and equipping frontline officers with the right tools to do their jobs well.

“Always the focus is going to be on community safety and reducing the elements of crime and road trauma,” she said.

“Also domestic and family violence — it’s such a scourge on our society. It has a huge impact on our resources and it’s a terrible thing for our children that are subject to it. It’s really awful for our victim survivors.”

Originally published as Meet the new top cop taking the reins in North Queensland