Sticking to the one job position for too long was never going to be a career option for Sergeant TJ Baker.
Having worked in the construction, security and retail industries, by the time he was 28 he decided he needed a career that gave him variety and fresh challenges, along with the sense of purpose he craved.
He found it in policing, and together with his family, has discovered the rich rewards that come with working in regional and remote communities.
Twelve years ago, he was accepted into the Queensland Police Service Academy, graduating in 2010 as a First Year Constable.
After 12 months learning the ropes at various stations around the Gold Coast, then-Constable Baker was posted to Nerang Station where he remained for three years.
Married with three children under the age of three, life was comfortable in the south-east corner but new adventures were calling.
In 2014, he successfully applied for a posting in Longreach and managed to convince his wife to take a leap of faith.
“Initially we had no intention of leaving the Gold Coast, but it was the best thing we ever did,” Sergeant Baker said.
“We loved Longreach and we loved the community. I can’t speak highly enough about how good it was, especially for a young family.
“It’s a very inclusive community and there are lots of other young families, even amongst the police posted there.”
He said that after four years enjoying the reactive and busy pace of the south-east corner, he had been ready to try the different lifestyle regional policing offered.
“I’d had the joy of doing Code 2 driving and had satisfied my yearning for constant action,” he said.
“Longreach has far less crime, and this opens up lots of opportunities for proactive policing.
“I became an Adopt-a-Cop at the local primary school and also became involved in the Blue Light Association which runs safe social events for young people.”
Given opportunities to relieve at higher duties in some of the two-officer and four-officer stations dotted throughout the district, as well as in the Criminal Investigation Branch, Sergeant Baker said he was able to further develop his confidence and range of skills.
“You have more responsibilities and become a lot more reliant on yourself in those small stations, and I was soon promoted to the rank of Senior Constable.
“My work with Blue Light also led me to becoming involved with the PCYC, and with this experience, I was promoted to Sergeant, PCYC Youth Club Manager, and posted to Mornington Island for a two-year tenure.”
Moving from the regional centre of Longreach to the remote First Nations community of Mornington Island represented a profoundly different approach to policing and an incredibly rewarding cultural experience for his family.
“We all enjoyed our time up there. The kids were adopted by the local families and given totems and taught traditional dances.
“I played football with the local team as a way of getting to know the community, and we were taken hunting on the traditional lands.”
He said there was a good deal of respect for police on Mornington Island, but general duties officers were kept busy enforcing the island’s Alcohol Management Plan.
“Another challenge is preventing or responding to domestic violence and clashes between the different family groups,” he said.
“Much of the crime tends to be reactive, and you have to negotiate legislative law with traditional lore.
“I did lots of work helping youth develop tools to manage their anger rather than act out, and also attended a men’s domestic violence group, talking about the triggers that caused them to react and sent them back to jail.”
After nearly three years at Mornington Island, Sergeant Baker was ready for his next challenge.
He and his family moved further north again to Weipa and Sergeant Baker set about running PCYC programs in Napranum, a First Nations community 15km away on the western side of Cape York.
He said he was the first police officer to work at the PCYC in the community.
“The police station that looks after Napranum is based in Weipa and generally police only attend Napranum for reactive purposes.
“The traditional owners of the land decided they wanted their own dedicated PCYC and they funded a community development officer, a member services team leader and multiple staff for a breakfast program using royalties from mining in the area.
“We provided breakfast and lunch for up to 90 kids a day, and I worked with our First Nations and Youth programs teams to set up ‘Braking the Cycle – Changing Gears’, a driver education program and the first of its kind in a First Nations community.”
Sergeant Baker said working in remote communities helped him develop his ability to communicate and work with different people and organisations.
“You spend a lot of time working in the social space with other organisations such as Youth Justice and local health clinics. You can’t run solo; you have to be embedded in the community.
“This is the same for city policing as well, but in a remote community you broaden your outreach.
“You have to sit down with the local leaders and work out how you are going to resolve issues together. It’s a completely different way of doing policing.
“You also learn to de-escalate situations using tactical communication and not relying on your accoutrements.”
After two years in Napranum, and with his eldest child almost ready to enter high school, Sergeant Baker and his family have now settled in Fernvale, near Ipswich.
Substantively the Youth Club Manager for the PCYC Fernvale, he is currently relieving as the Senior Sergeant PCYC Youth Club Coordinator for the South West District.
He said his experience in regional and remote communities had greatly enriched the lives of his entire family.
“My children have seen more of Queensland than many adults and they have been exposed to different languages, cultures and lifestyles,” he said.
“It’s given me greater cultural understanding and compassion, and I’ve had the tremendously satisfying experience of seeing my work directly make a difference in the community.
“Remote area policing helps you see another way of life.
“It makes you step back and take stock of what’s really important, and I believe all QPS officers should conduct at least one stint in a remote location.”
The Queensland Police Service is currently seeking applicants who seek purpose, direction and meaning from their careers in a different way from what they have done before.
There’s never been a better time to join the QPS. To find out if you’re made for it, visit .
