Queensland Police training - Prevention, Disruption, Investigation of and Response to Domestic and Family Violence

Project Team

Project directors: Bridget Harris 

Project contact: 

Bridget Harris

bridget.harris@monash.edu

About this project

In April and May 2022, Deputy Coroner Jane Bentley held coronial inquest proceedings into the deaths of Doreen Langham and Gary Hely; and Hannah Clarke, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey Baxter and Rowan Baxter. A focal point of those inquests involved the training provided to the Queensland Police Service  (QPS) members in the prevention, disruption, investigation of and response to domestic and family violence (DFV).

During the Clarke and Baxter inquest, the QPS committed to the development and delivery of face-to-face DFV training to QPS members prioritising delivery to frontline members. Proactive delivery of training was said to accord with the recent Government support of all 89 recommendations arising from the Women’s Safety & Justice Taskforce Report, and recent Critical Investigation Review Sub-Committee findings regarding the investigation of DFV involving DFV fatalities.

The development of training was also supported in and called for by QPS In their submission to the Independent Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic and family violence., which resulted in the development of a 5-day specialist course to be co-designed and co-facilitated with external organisations and relevant QPS. Harris was commissioned to develop and deliver material relating to technology-facilitated domestic and family violence, which she has done since 2022.

In 2024, with colleagues involved with the specialist course, she received the Commissioner’s Award for Excellence.

Research aims

To develop and deliver specialist training to QPS on the topic of preventing, disrupting and investigating technology-facilitated domestic and family violence.

Method

In person delivery of training, from 2022-2026.

Project Outputs

Embargoed

Funding Acknowledgment

The Queensland Police Service