Even as a child, Senior Constable Andrew Perrett had always dreamed of becoming a police officer, but there were two key events in his young life that cemented his decision to join the Queensland Police Service.
Hailing from New Zealand before moving to Australia in 2008, Senior Constable Perrett has always embraced change.
Joining the Queensland Police Service (QPS) three years after his move, his career saw him transition from remote area policing, onto the fast-paced Gold Coast before returning to the country.
Now serving as Nebo Division’s Officer In Charge for the past three and a half years, Senior Constable Perrett explained what drove him to become a police officer.
“Since I was young, I always knew I wanted to join the police,” Senior Constable Perrett said.
“My dad worked in security and developed good relationships working with police officers; seeing how much they enjoyed their job ignited my own passion to be a police officer.”
While the positive interactions ignited the spark, he said his desire to become an officer was truly set alight during two key moments in his life.
“The first one happened when I was very young. I was riding my bike and I witnessed a fatal crash between a motorcycle and an ice cream truck.
“I was so close to the crash and could so easily have been involved. I realised at this early age that life is fragile and that it can be taken in an instant if we are not careful on the roads.
“I later found out that speed was a factor in this crash and I wanted to stop that from happening to other people.
“In the second event, a young man from my year in high school was struck down by a vehicle while walking to school.
“The driver was fatigued and intoxicated and fell asleep at the wheel. My school mate was killed instantly and I remember the profound affect it had on the entire school community.”
Graduating from the QPS Academy in 2011, Senior Constable Perrett’s career as a police officer began with his first posting as a First Year Constable in Mount Isa before spending two years as a General Duties Officer.
He said it was vastly different from anything he’d previously been exposed to.
“Living and policing in a remote area was brand new to me and I seriously considered if I’d made the right decision,” he said.
“I quickly came to realise that it’s the people you work with and how you engage with your community that truly gives you the satisfaction you need.
“Although remote, Mount Isa had so much to offer through diverse policing, community engagement and career development.
“You have a unique opportunity to learn a range of different skillsets earlier in your career than what you would in metropolitan areas.
“For me, I got to experience training first year officers soon after completing my own first year.
“There were plenty more opportunities that presented themselves and I was encouraged to develop my own skills by the people I worked with.”
After three years, Senior Constable Perrett and his family opted to swap the outback for the Gold Coast where he transitioned from general duties, to the fast-paced proactive unit known as the Gold Coast Rapid Action and Patrol Group (RAP).
In February 2019, after enjoying the better part of six years on the Gold Coast, a scenic change beckoned again when he successfully applied for the Officer In Charge position at Nebo, 100km west of Mackay.
Senior Constable Perrett said he and his family made the decision to move in order to boost both financial and career opportunities.
A friendly rural township, Nebo is home to about 1,000 permanent residents working within the industry and supplying agriculture across Australia and around the world.
“There are considerable financial benefits offered with isolated postings, but it was also the chance for me to challenge myself professionally, learn administrative processes and regain some general duties experience required for my progression into higher ranks,” he said.
“What’s great about isolated locations is your ability to engage with the community and to understand what the unique issues are.
“You work out what that community needs and what we, as police, can do to help make it happen and make our community safe.”
It didn’t take Senior Constable Perrett long to start finding ways he could make a difference.
After discovering the local Nebo state school didn’t have a school safety zone for its 90 students aged kindergarten to year five, he set to work.
After engaging local council, a fully funded safety zone complete with zebra crossings was designed and implemented ensuring the local children a safe journey during their commute to school.
“Given our location is on the Peak Downs Highway, we have a large number of commuters every day.
“This has the potential for some serious traffic crashes including fatalities that, as a police officer, stay with you for a lifetime.
“I drive these roads every day and come across locations where there have been crashes and have a moment of reflection, respect and sometimes anger at the decisions that led to those events.”
Living rurally also poses some unique challenges in which Senior Constable Perrett has spied opportunity to boost safety.
“The highway also brings a unique set of circumstance in which cattle sometimes make their way onto the road and cause significant injury and damage to property.
“I realised that cattle would be more visible if they had reflective ear tags and that this could prevent some of those crashes,” he explained.
Since late 2021 he has been working with local stakeholders as well as Allflex Livestock Intelligence to trial reflective ear tags with the aim of reducing road trauma in the Nebo Division.
The trial is still in its implementation phase, but will see 5,000 animals near the highway fitted with the reflective tags.
Nebo is also home to the largest one-day rodeo in Queensland, which sees the population swell to 5,000 with visitors partaking in the local festivities.
Senior Constable Perrett said he has worked closely with event organisers of The Bushman’s Carnival to ensure road safety during the annual event.
“By engaging with local stakeholders we’ve shown a cohesive approach to road safety, that is second to none in the western cluster,” he said.
“It is initiatives like these that really give you a sense of achievement out in these remote locations.”
In August, after three and a half years in the country, Senior Constable Perrett and his family have once again moved back to the Gold Coast to be closer to relatives.
He said he looks forward to whatever new opportunities the future holds and urges police officers to jump at the chance to experience remote policing, as the rewards are endless.
“You are able to engage personally with people and understand their needs, because at the end of the day you are part of that community yourself.
“You walk down the street and everyone will give you a wave or a greeting.
“How you engage with your community influences what you gain from remote policing.
“You build resilience, you build relationships and you build your own experience to mould your own progression through a rewarding career in policing,” he said.
Police officers aren’t born, they’re made, with every challenge or adversity overcome, and their personal values, helping to shape them into great officers who can make a real difference.
There is no better time to join the QPS. You’re already ready.
Visit PoliceRecruit.com.au to check your eligibility today.
