Domestic violence survivor leading change in QPS

A police officer who has both responded to and survived domestic violence is leading the way when it comes to effecting change and responding to the statewide crisis.

A former Hervey Bay police officer has spoken out about being a survivor of domestic violence, including during her early years in the force, after a range of changes were made to the way Queensland police respond to the statewide crisis.

Acting Senior Sergeant Sharon Morgan met her now ex-partner at age 17, describing the beginning of their relationship as a “thrill”, dating a man in his early 20s who appeared to be a gentleman.

But just a few months into their relationship, Sharon said she was subjected to physical violence.

It was something that would continue for seven years, along with coercive control and financial and emotional abuse.

Attending domestic violence situations was part of her job as a police officer, but it was also what she went home to.

Sharon hid the abuse she suffered from her colleagues for years, even wearing make up to cover the bruises, until an incident which saw her sergeant at the time respond and immediately intervene.

Now, Sharon uses her experience as a propeller to help those who find themselves in high-risk abusive relationships, through her role as Senior Sergeant in the Domestic and Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Command High Risk Teams.

Domestic violence rates increased significantly in 2023 with more than 171,000 reports received by police in Queensland, with the Commission of Inquiry reporting about 80 per cent of domestic and family violence cases going unreported.

Acting Senior Sergeant Sharon Morgan at Mater Hospital, South Brisbane, Tuesday, May 21, 2024 - Picture: Richard Walker

Recommendations made by the inquiry into QPS responses to family violence included recruiting personnel to increase capability in service areas which deal with family violence across the state as well as our frontline policing response, developing and reviewing training programs relating to management of family violence programs that increase competence and confidence while improving critical thinking and decision making and reviewing and updating our processes and procedures to be more contemporary, reflective of current policing requirements, and more appropriate to the needs of victim-survivors.

When considering the changes made to the approach and support of victim-survivors, Sharon notes the changes implemented since her own experience.

“We’ve got two-day holistic training, three-day training, five-day specialist training and online learning products,” she says.

“We’ve got a Domestic and Family Violence Command that are all day, every day, working in the background to mitigate domestic and family violence.”

With so many support services available now, Senior Sergeant Sharon Morgan is imploring victim-survivors to contact police or partner agencies for help.

“We’ve got so many things available to victims now, that can assist in leaving or preventing further DFV.

“As a victim-survivor myself, I wish I had that support when I was going through my experience.

“Thankfully now there are so many resources and service available to support victim survivors”.

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Originally published as Domestic violence survivor leading change in QPS