Brett Schafferius appointed Assistant Commissioner

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart has today announced the appointment of Brett Schafferius as an Assistant Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service (QPS).

Assistant Commissioner Schafferius was previously the Far Northern District Officer, and will take over the Community Contact Command portfolio.

“I am very pleased today to welcome Assistant Commissioner Schafferius to the Executive Leadership Team of the Queensland Police Service,” Commissioner Stewart said.

“Assistant Commissioner Schafferius is recognised throughout our organisation as a progressive and adaptive leader whose focus is on strengthening relationships with community and cultural groups to improve safety and increase resilience.

“He brings to this role a wealth of experience from a diverse range of positions across the state, including his most recent role as Far North District Officer.

“As Assistant Commissioner of the Community Contact Command, he will lead on community engagement, ensuring Queenslanders are receiving world-class policing responses and that we are harnessing technology to improve the capabilities and safety of frontline officers.

“Groups under his command will include Communications, Information Management, Media and Public Affairs, Mobility Capability and Policelink and Programs.”

Assistant Commissioner Schafferius said he was looking forward to the next chapter of his career in the QPS.

“I have had the privilege of serving across many parts of Queensland – both as a uniformed officer and as a detective – for over thirty years,” Assistant Commissioner Schafferius said.

“I am incredibly excited to be taking on a new role within the Executive Leadership Team of the QPS and to lead the professional women and men of the Community Contact Command in their work to keep Queenslanders safe.”

Assistant Commissioner Alistair Dawson will move from the Community Contact Command to the People Capability Command (PCAP), which is responsible for recruitment, the safety and wellbeing of officers and staff as well as all police training and development.

Current PCAP Assistant Commissioner Paul Stewart will leave the QPS next month to take up a Deputy Commissioner role at Queensland Corrective Services.

Biography of Assistant Commissioner Schafferius

After being sworn into the QPS in July 1985, Assistant Commissioner Schafferius was appointed as a constable in Townsville before being transferred to Wynnum.

He spent time as an investigator at the Chandler Juvenile Aid Bureau before serving in the Cairns Drug Squad and the Mareeba Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) as a detective senior constable.

He was promoted to the rank of detective sergeant in 1998 and was the team leader of the Cairns Drug Squad and later the Officer in Charge of the Mareeba CIB.

In 2000, he was promoted to detective senior sergeant and spent time at the State Drug Investigation Group in the State Crime Operations Command, before becoming the Officer in Charge of the Ipswich Police Station.

As an Inspector, he spent time providing support to the Southern Regional Assistant Commissioner, before becoming the Toowoomba District Inspector and then Detective Inspector.

In 2011 he was prompted to Superintendent and served as the District Officer of the Brisbane Central District.

Following the QPS restructure in 2013, he served as the Assistant District Officer in the Far North.

His most recent appointment was as the Chief Superintendent, District Officer of the Far North District.

Assistant Commissioner Schafferius has a Graduate Certificate of Police Management from the Charles Sturt University as well as a Graduate Certificate of Applied Management and Diploma of Public Safety from the Australian Institute of Police Management.

He has been awarded the Australian Police Medal, the National Emergency Medal, the National Police Medal, the National Media and the Queensland Police Service Medal.