In a major push to win more recruits to the Queensland Police Service (QPS) successful applicants to the State’s two police academies are to receive a special cost-of-living allowance on top of their recruit wage.
During their almost eight months of training, the applicants will receive an allowance of $183 per fortnight, boosting the recruit wage to the equivalent of $52,000 per annum.
In addition, all accommodation costs at Police Academies will be waived, saving live-in recruits almost $200 per week.
Further to that, all police recruit application and pre-selection test fees will be waived.
In total, the waiving of all application and pre-selection test fees will save potential recruits between $718 and $972.
The QPS will also pay $20,000 towards the relocation costs of interstate and overseas applicants who are serving or recently-served police officers.
Up to 400 successful police recruit graduates who hold a tertiary degree in areas such as psychology, criminology, social work (or equivalent), counselling or other human service-related field will be eligible to receive up to $20,000 paid off their student debt.
Upon graduation from the Police Academies, the recruits will be sworn in as First Year Constables and receive a remuneration package which is considered to be one of the best in the nation.
Two major marketing and advertising campaigns will also be launched in the coming months, including a partnership advertising campaign between the QPS and the Queensland Police Union of Employees.
Police Commissioner, Katarina Carroll said the QPS was taking these steps to further boost recruitment efforts in what was a tight labour market across all industry sectors and across the nation.
Commissioner Carroll also announced the creation of anew Assistant Commissioner position to enhance cultural capability and progress initiatives to improve relationships between the QPS and First Nations communities.
