In a remarkable alignment of destiny, three namesakes met face-to-face for the first time as Constable Paul Hart was inducted into the Queensland Police Service (QPS) at last week’s graduation in Brisbane.
In their first meeting, the youngest Hart marched forward, saluting Superintendent Paul Hart, who swore him into the Service as a new First Year Constable (FYC).
FYC Hart’s father, Special Constable Paul Hart, completed the long-awaited meeting of the trio – usually limited to email mix-ups – presenting his son with his badge, creating a truly memorable occasion.
Before joining the Recruit Training Program, the newest Constable Hart, who grew up in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, enjoyed running his small mechanical business. Yet he could never shake his lifelong desire to explore a policing career.
In preparation for his career change, he completed a Certificate IV and Diploma of Law and Justice which he believes was highly beneficial to his studies at the academy.
“Continuing my family’s legacy is a great honour and means everything to me. I am grateful for my dad’s unwavering support that helped me achieve my aspirations of becoming a police officer,” First Year Constable Hart said.
“I am driven by a desire to help and make a difference, both through dedication to exploring methods to break the cycle of criminality in recidivist offenders, as well as helping people in their worst days by providing the highest level of police service and support.”
Like his son, Special Constable Hart is deeply dedicated to the Service and its values. After his age retirement in late 2023, he was sworn in as a Special Constable. The new role, introduced in 2023, enables eligible, experienced officers to continue performing frontline policing duties on an on-demand basis.
“I’m extremely proud of my son becoming a QPS police officer. He’s also been serving as an Operational Restricted Coxswain with the Volunteer Marine Rescue, Coast Guard, for many years,” Hart senior said with pride, illustrating his family’s commitment to the community.
His advice for his son as he begins his deployment to Moreton District is to “have a can-do attitude to policing and whatever comes your way with the QPS.”
All three Hart men are connected not only by their shared name but as members of proud policing families.
Superintendent Paul Hart swore his own son into the Service two years ago, and his son-in-law and brother-in-law also work in specialist police units in QPS.
“We collectively thought we had a really special thing happening that we could celebrate at Paul Junior’s induction,” Superintendent Hart said.
“The QPS has been such a huge part of my life, it feels like the organisation itself is an extended family.”
“Every time I go to an induction ceremony it re-enforces why I joined, and gives me a great sense of optimism for the future to see such bright and energetic people being sworn in.”
Of the 137 new officers sworn in to the QPS at the May 16 graduation ceremony, 28 continued the legacy of policing families, showing that the heart of policing continues to beat strongly with the new generations.
To learn more about a career with the Queensland Police visit PoliceRecruit.qld.gov.au.
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