Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, Mark Ryan, joined Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon in Toowoomba today to officially open a new facility for the specialist unit that handles domestic and family violence.
The new premises for the Queensland Police Service (QPS) Darling Downs Domestic, Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit (DFV&VPU) arose through a collaboration with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), who own the space.
The premises includes office space, meeting rooms, meal and bathroom facilities, and amenities for disabled access, and through an arrangement, will be leased to the QPS.
Darling Downs DFV&VPU has most recently been based out of Toowoomba Police Station.
Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon said that the new premises enabled the unit to provide a more focused approach to a critical aspect of policing.
“By moving to a dedicated facility, this unit now has the opportunity to co-locate with partner agencies such as the Domestic Violence Action Centre,” Assistant Commissioner Condon said.
“Police from the DFV&VPU provide a coordinated, victim-centric service to people impacted by domestic and family violence, elder abuse, disability, mental health concerns and other vulnerable members of our community.
“Everyone has a right to live free from violence and abuse, and this facility will better equip our officers to play their role in preventing and investigating these crimes.
“Thank you to our partners at QFES for providing our officers the use of this facility for such an important purpose.
“We’re excited about this which is the latest in a stream of initiatives.
“We are committed to continually learning and enhancing our response to domestic and family violence.”
Minister Ryan said it was pleasing to see such a level of cooperation between police and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to provide an enhanced level of service to the community.
“It is wonderful to see these two key public safety agencies coming together to make the best use of a property to serve this community,” Minister Ryan said.
“These specialist police have an important role to play in preventing and addressing Domestic and Family Violence and providing support to victims and their families to ensure that everyone knows that domestic and family violence is never okay.”
