IPSWICH will receive a boost to frontline policing with five new officers deployed to the district following the first Queensland Police Service graduation of 2026.
The officers are among 79 new recruits sworn in this week under the Crisafulli Government, with the cohort immediately deployed across Brisbane, regional and remote Queensland.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie said the new Ipswich officers formed part of the Government’s broader effort to rebuild police numbers and restore community safety.
“The State Government is putting 79 new police officers on the frontline – the first graduates of 2026 and the next wave in our plan to restore safety where you live and rebuild the frontline,” Minister Purdie said.
“For communities like Ipswich, that means more officers on the ground, more visibility and stronger support for local police responding to crime.”
The Ipswich allocation comes as part of a statewide deployment that will see officers sent to policing districts from Brisbane to Far North Queensland, including Logan, the Gold Coast, Mackay Whitsunday and Townsville.
The new graduates – 56 men and 23 women – range in age from 18 to 50 and come from diverse professional backgrounds, including defence, health, engineering, trades, hospitality and customer service.
Their graduation follows a strong year for police recruitment in 2025, when 1,180 new officers were sworn in across Queensland. The Government says the intake has helped reverse years of declining police numbers, with unplanned attrition falling to 2.6 per cent, the lowest level in three years.
Minister Purdie said improved retention reflected increased support for frontline officers.
“We are backing our police with the laws and resources they need to do their jobs and keep Queenslanders safe,” he said.
Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski congratulated the new officers and welcomed them to the service.
“Our newest constables will have a career that makes a positive difference to the lives of others,” Commissioner Gollschewski said.
“Joining the blue family is more than a career choice – it’s a commitment to teamwork and community service.”
The five new officers will now begin duties across Ipswich, strengthening the local presence of the Queensland Police Service as the State Government continues its push to rebuild the police frontline across Queensland.
