The Queensland Police Service has assigned five new First Year Constables to the Ipswich District, which covers the Laidley area in the Lockyer Valley, after they were sworn in as part of the first graduating cohort of 2026. The cohort comprises 79 new officers who completed training at the QPS Academy in Oxley (Brisbane).
A Ministerial Media Statement from the Crisafulli Government says the new officers will be deployed across Brisbane, regional and remote Queensland to bolster local patrols and community safety. For Laidley residents, the deployment is expected to increase visible policing and improve local response capacity.
The new First Year Constables will work alongside experienced officers to learn day-to-day policing in the Lockyer Valley. The deployment is part of the government’s broader ‘frontline first’ strategy to rebuild frontline numbers and address regional staffing shortfalls.
Funding for expanded recruitment and training was included in the Queensland 2025–26 Budget Service Delivery Statements for the Queensland Police Service. The five officers assigned to the Ipswich District are being deployed immediately as they transition from the academy into active duties.
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