Watchhouse Officers (WO) are trained specialists operating within the QPS to manage persons in custody within watchhouses.

WOs are staff members with some of the same legislative powers as Police Officers and are trained in Operational Skills and Tactics Training. Their roles are primarily to assist in the processing of prisoners, maintaining the security of a watchhouse and providing duty of care to each client.

Protective Services Officers (PSO) are employees of the Queensland Police Service, within the Protective Services Group (PSG). PSOs provide security services to Queensland Government infrastructure and facilities, improving the safety and security for the people of Queensland.

Protective Services Officers undertake duties at a range of State Government buildings, courthouses, and schools. Officers are also deployed to public transport infrastructure, enhancing community safety and security at busway locations across Greater Brisbane. PSG members also provide a variety of services to the community beyond static guarding. This includes mobile patrols across Greater Brisbane, alarm responses across the State achieved through both on-site attendance and monitoring state-wide alarms and CCTV from the Central Operations Room as a Communications Office. Additionally, PSG staff provide security consultancy and security risk assessments to various Government agencies.

Protective Services Officers are trained at the Queensland Police Academy and are empowered under the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000, allowing them to exercise certain powers within State Government buildings.

Vacancies for these positions are advertised on:

The QPS also employs staff members in administrative, support and specialist roles to assist in the delivery of policing services.

Vacancies for these positions are advertised on the Queensland Government SmartJobs website.

To find out what positions are available, search the site by Organisation (Queensland Police Service). This will bring up all available positions with the QPS throughout Queensland.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has created a new category of constable known as a ‘special constable (State officer)’. These special constables strengthen our policing capability, particularly at times of peak demand. This surge capability ensures police officers are on the frontline at key times to meet service delivery requirements. These officers perform various frontline duties on an ad hoc basis when required. 

Police Liaison Officers are employed by the QPS to establish and maintain a positive rapport between First Nations and multicultural communities and the QPS.

Volunteers in Policing (ViPs) is a QPS initiative created to encourage community participation in local policing services. Launched in 1997, the program aims to enhance community service delivery by forging strong working partnerships between police and the Queensland community. For example, in many police divisions ViPs provide much needed follow-up support to victims of crime, particularly residents who have been victims of property crime.