This week I attended the conference of the Queensland Police Service, State Crime Command, Major and Organised Crime Squad (Rural), formerly known as the Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad or Stock Squad. I have been attending these conferences for many years and this was the biggest yet with police representatives from all States and the Northern Territory in attendance for the first time.
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The conference was opened by Assistant Commissioner Maurice Carless who explained the need for the squad to be re-identified to better reflect the focus and activities of the squads located throughout Queensland. He said the Queensland Organised Crime Commission of Inquiry identified changes in the organised crime threat environment in Queensland and national responses to organised crime were required. “The squad is uniquely placed to reach out to rural and remote residents of Queensland and State Crime Command supports the squad with extensive resources and specialist investigators.”
Squad state coordinator Detective Inspector Mick Dowie said the squad continued to investigate and target stock theft and rural crime while actively targeting and gathering intelligence on organised crime such as drug traffickers indiscriminately supplying the drug ‘Ice’ to our vulnerable rural towns.
“The squad, in collaboration with other specialist investigative groups within State Crime Command and regional police, also capacity build rural community resilience against online fraud, online sexual predators and the infiltration of organised crime groups into industries that support rural communities. The conference focused on building the Squads capability to disrupt organised crime.
My old mate Ian Harsant of the AgForce cattle board was honoured with a certificate of appreciation presented to him by Assistant Commissioner Carless in recognition of Ian’s outstanding support to the squad over the past 14 years in his role as the board’s liaison officer to the squad.
Rockhampton Girls Grammar School principal Christine Hills was the guest speaker at the conference dinner. Christine proudly boasted of the values and achievements of the school and discussed the changing life challenges facing our youth today. Mick Dowie said, “We are very interested in how we can work with schools who cater for the needs and education of children from rural and remote areas of Queensland as they will be the future leaders of their industries and communities.”
