Six District Duty Officers for Wide Bay after inquest into tragedy

The Wide Bay will finally receive District Duty Officers in a major boost to policing following an inquest which highlighted the urgent need for the positions.

Six District Dity Officers are coming to the Wide Bay.

The Wide Bay will receive six District Duty Officers after a coroner recommended the addition following an investigation into a Maryborough man’s tragic death.

The need for the officers came to light during an inquest into the death of William George Grimes last year.

Following the inquest the Fraser Coast Chronicle, Gympie Times and Bundaberg NewsMail called for the urgent allocation of senior officers in its District Duty Cop Out campaign.

At the inquest, held at the Hervey Bay Courthouse, the moment Mr Grimes, 31, was tasered after he doused himself with fuel on March 3, 2020, at Granville State School was examined.

On that night, Mr Grimes, who had schizophrenia, ran from police while holding a jerry can and a lighter and threatened to self-harm.

Experts were unable to determine if it was the lighter in Mr Grimes’ hand or the taser used by police that ignited the flames that caused burns to 70 per cent of his body.

Mr Grimes died of his injuries a week later in hospital in Brisbane.

Queensland's State Coroner Terry Ryan.

During the inquest, the role of District Duty Officers was raised repeatedly, both by Detective Sergeant Dave Perry, who investigated the incident, and the four officers who were at the scene that night.

All agreed a DDO would have been a valuable resource.

While speaking of what he discovered during his investigation into what he called “very unique circumstances”, Sergeant Perry highlighted how DDOs can help co-ordinate and lead officers at serious incidents.

It is understood the Wide Bay was the only region from the Gold Coast to Cairns without a DDO.

DDOs are typically senior sergeants with more than 15 years’ experience on the force.

William George Grimes died on March 10, 2020, aged 31, a week after he suffered burns resulting from the incident at the school.

Queensland state coroner Terry Ryan said at the end of the inquest that DDO at the level of senior sergeant in the Wide Bay region would be beneficial in “providing senior level support in high risk jobs to officers on the ground.

Queensland Police Service announced the new officers on Tuesday, May 30.

A further 12 officers will also be allocated to Bundaberg, Maryborough and Hervey Bay.

In addition to the District Duty Officers, other new positions include Officers in Charge, Child Protection Investigation Unit investigators and general duties officers.

According to the state government it is the biggest investment in policing in Queensland in more than three decades, and will deliver more than 2000 extra police personnel.

While the allocation of police personnel and resources is a matter for the Queensland Police Service, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has stated that the investment will deliver a minimum of 150 extra police officers to each rpolice egion, including the region that includes Bundaberg, Maryborough, and Hervey Bay.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders said the safety of the community was his number one priority.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders.

“I always have and always will advocate in the strongest possible terms for my local community to get the investments it needs to support community safety,” he said.

“I am very pleased to see these additional officers allocated to the region by the Queensland Police Service.”

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith said he had advocated strongly “to ensure we get the investments that will support community safety”.

“It’s great to see these extra police coming to the region, as we know that more boots on the ground makes a very real difference to supporting community safety.”

Hervey Bay MP Adrian Tantari said the additional police resources would make a real difference on the ground, “supporting the great work the Queensland Police Service does every day to keep everyone safe”.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said community safety was always front of mind for the government.

“That is why we are making these historic investments in police,” he said.

“Our police academies are going flat out training new police recruits.

“I’m very pleased that police have decided to boost police numbers in this region.”

Originally published as Six District Duty Officers for Wide Bay after inquest into tragedy