The Queensland town career police officer will never forget

Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus will retire from the Queensland Police Service on Friday – and it’s the people of Grantham who will remain in this thoughts.

Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus is retiring after a 36-year career.

It’s been 13 years since an inland tsunami swallowed swathes of the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane, taking 14 lives and destroying much of the town of Grantham.

But sometimes Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus, who was sent in as the town’s community liaison officer in the midst of one of the worst disasters the state has ever seen, still hears from the people who lived through it.

Friday will be the police officer’s final day in a much-varied career spanning 36 years.

He spent a decade as a police negotiator in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks, spent years educating the community on road safety, and worked in various regional and remote police stations.

Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus in 2021

“When I first joined as a recruit, I honestly thought I’d just be chasing crooks,” he said.

“Instead, I was surprised by the sheer scale and variety of work police get assigned.

“You’d be amazed at what the average country copper has to do. I’ve taken weather readings, issued truck licences and fire permits, and removed a fair few snakes from people’s houses – and I don’t like snakes.

“We do search and rescue, disaster management, suicide interventions and pretty much anything we are asked to do.”

But it was the 2011 floods – particularly his work with the people of Grantham – that had one of the biggest impacts on Mr Marcus.

An inspector at the time, Mr Marcus was sent to Grantham to help improve communication between police and locals as search-and-rescue efforts continued.

Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus with an aspiring police dog

Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus on his graduation day at the police academy

According to the Grantham Flood Commission of Inquiry report, Mr Marcus held twice-daily briefings with locals – usually attended by up to 100 people – where he talked about ongoing efforts to find their missing loved ones, as well as plans for the clean-up and recovery process.

“The community was full of wonderful and resilient people who absolutely rallied together and ultimately moved most of the town up the hill,” he said.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from them in the face of adversity.

“I still get the occasional call or text from a Grantham resident – it always makes my day.”

Mr Marcus became a police negotiator the day before the September 11 terror attacks in the US.

“This incident immediately and dramatically changed the security environment right across the world and led us down a path where we were frequently confronted with acts of terrorism,” he said.

“I’m very proud of the way Queensland responded, and how we are seen as a benchmark of allowing the community to voice their opinions and protest peacefully but still keep a very close watch on extremism.”

Ben Marcus (front) as a superintendent during the annual tug of war between police and St Mary’s College students in Toowoomba

He said the most important thing for anyone beginning a career as a police officer was to work hard to ensure people felt safe in their own communities.

“We have moved to an era where social media has made the average person become fearful and we are now looking at not just making people safe but making them know they are safe,” he said.

“It’s not enough for us to focus on making people safe if they feel scared. It changes how people see the world, what they spend their money on and what they do with their time.”

Mr Marcus thanked his wife Joey and their daughters Michaela, Georgia and Bridie for their support throughout his career.

“As a police officer you can frequently move around the state, work shift hours and long hours when responding to major events,” he said.

Commissioner Steve Gollschewski thanked Mr Marcus for his decades of dedicated service.

“Ben has had an outstanding policing career, making an impact on the lives of Queenslanders and contributing to the success of the service,” he said.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Ben for many years, including in the disaster and emergency management space, and can attest to his commitment to his team, dedication to community safety and innovative leadership focused on improving the QPS.

“I thank Ben for his 36 years of distinguished and dedicated service.”

Originally published as The Queensland town career police officer will never forget