Short-term placements of a week or two would see senior officers shadow a tourism executive to enhance the officer’s leadership skills and gain knowledge as to how the industry operates.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Brett Schafferius is keen to implement the initiative which he believes will give both parties an appreciation of some of the challenges each faces in the workplace.
“The Police Service is always looking for opportunities to develop staff members and this would further improve relationships between the Queensland Police Service and tourism industry,” he says.
“There may be other unexpected outcomes where interactions between police and the industry following a crime or disaster can be discussed and the process of reporting information or supporting guests to the region may be improved.
“Our personal relationships with those working in disaster management contributes significantly to providing a very professional response for our community in responding to disasters in this region.
“I also see this initiative as being an opportunity for tourism industry executives to personally get to know some of our middle managers.
“Hopefully, this networking will enhance relationships in the future between the tourism industry and police.”
Cross-industry training is an excellent way for both parties to impart a wide variety of skills and gain an intimate understanding of how each other works which is particularly important for the tourism industry to deliver excellent service to guests and continues to be recognised as a safe destination and the fact that TTNQ enjoys a very positive and proactive relationship with the Police Service has much to do with this reputation.
We are fortunate to have Queensland Police initiatives such as the dedicated cultural liaison staff who assist guests and regularly support the training of tour guides in our community.
These placements would also allow senior police officers to gain an understanding of how the businesses hosting them operate, giving them an invaluable opportunity to walk in the shoes of the community they serve.
Tourism businesses can register their interest in being a host organisation by contacting Judy Lloyd.
Cheers
Alex
Alex de Waal
Chief Executive Officer