Inspector Mike Newman1
1Assistant Regional Crime Coordinator, Queensland Police Service
The Queensland Police Service provides investigations training to officers through the Detective Training Program (DTP) run by facilitators from the Detective & Specialist Investigations Training Section (DSITS) as part of our People Capability Command. However, officers are only eligible to enrol or remain in the DTP once permanently appointed as a plain clothes investigator in a principal criminal investigative (PCI) area. There are currently a significant number of officers performing complex criminal investigative duties who are unable to access the DTP to obtain specific investigative knowledge, skills and training. The implementation of an investigations course to meet the training needs of these officers provides significant opportunity for the QPS to enhance its ability to meet its strategic goals. This investment by the QPS in their people will equip their workforce for the future and provide officers with greater knowledge, skills and confidence to stop crime through effective, innovative and efficient approaches to preventing, disrupting and investigating crime. This presentation will further discuss the background regarding the need for this type of course, the course design, and its proposed benefits. Further to this the presentation will cover the research methodology utilised as part of the evaluation of this training course and some of the initial results observed after two pilot courses have been delivered.
Biography:
Mike has over 27 years’ service, having worked in a variety of areas including: general duties; regional and specialised crime units; criminal investigation branches; tactical crime squad; and a number of corporate roles. Mike has also been seconded to the Australian Crime Commission. In 2013, as a Senior Sergeant in Brisbane Region, he managed an Evidence Based Policing project – the Mobile Police Community Office. In 2014 he joined the Australia and New Zealand Society for Evidence Based Policing and became the Secretariat for the Society in 2015. Mike was promoted to Inspector in 2015. In 2016 Mike undertook a 15-month secondment as the Evidence Based Policing Visiting Fellow at the University of Queensland where he worked collaboratively with the UQ Criminology team led by Professor Lorraine Mazerolle on a number of EBP projects. Since that time, Mike has undertaken duties as the Detective Inspector, managing the Investigations and Intelligence Training Unit and now is the Inspector, Leadership Centre as part of the Operational Policing and Leadership Group.