Keynote Speakers

Peter Baines OAM

Hands Across the Water

  • Peter is a former NSW Police officer who spent 22 years serving in high-stakes environments, including leading international disaster response efforts across Southeast Asia. He played a key role in the forensic response to the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, experiences that shaped his belief in leadership through action. In 2005, he founded Hands Across the Water, a charity supporting children in Thailand, which has since raised over $40 million AUD and provides housing, education, and vocational opportunities. His commitment continues through multi-day charity bike rides and a growing social enterprise aimed at long-term impact. In the final chapter of his policing career, Peter was seconded to the National Institute of Forensic Science, where he led national and international projects focused on building leadership capability and strengthening counter-terrorism strategies. Peter’s expertise in crisis leadership has been sought globally, with roles supporting Interpol, the UN, and foreign governments. His humanitarian work has earned him the Order of Australia Medal, Rotary International’s Professional Excellence Award, and recognition from the King of Thailand.

  • Together we can

    Peter will draw on a lifetime of service, crisis leadership and purpose-driven action to inspire, challenge and unite.

Professor Paul Taylor

Chief Scientific Officer, National Police Chiefs Council UK

  • Professor Paul Taylor became the first Police Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) on 1 May 2021, with a remit to connect science and technology expertise both in the UK and globally to keep policing at the forefront of best practice. The role of the Police CSA is to guide critical strategies, policies and decisions, helping police to protect millions of people. Paul is a Professor of Psychology at Lancaster University, Professor of Human Interaction at the University of Twente, and founding director of the UK Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST). Established in 2015, CREST has brought together over 140 researchers from 35 universities and SMEs to deliver research that informs policy and practice in security and policing. Over his career Professor Taylor has contributed science advice to a number of high-profile police investigations in the UK and overseas. In 2005 he received a Metropolitan Police Service Commissioner Commendation for his contributions.

  • Policing what matters: insights from the UK on policing reform

Detective Sergeant Mark Cronin

Northern Territory Police Force

  • Detective Sergeant Mark Cronin is the NT Police Team Leader of the Northern Territory Joint AntiChild Exploitation Team, a collaborative taskforce between Northern Territory Police and the Australian Federal Police. Originally from Denmark (EU), he relocated to Australia in 2007 and joined the NT Police Force in 2012. Since 2016, Detective Sergeant Cronin has specialised in child abuse and sexual crimes across remote, regional, and metropolitan areas. He holds a Bachelor of Policing and a Master of Investigation from Charles Sturt University, Sydney.

  • Case Study: Operation Haine- Investigating Zoosadism

    This case study will outline the 2022 investigation by the Northern Territory Police Force's Joint AntiChild Exploitation Team (JACET) which identified renowned Zoologist Doctor Adam Britton as a highlevel zoo-sadist and his involvement in an international zoo-sadist network across encrypted applications, highlighting how the use of specialised investigative strategies from the child exploitation space can be used to solve other crime types.

Inspector Freda Grace

New Zealand Police

  • Freda started her career with New Zealand Police in 1984 and has undertaken a wide range of duties. Her roles have included operational planning, tactical coordinator and shift commander. In 2013 she was promoted to Inspector and became a road policing manager and an area commander, while also holding the role of an AOS commander. In 2019 she led critical incidents – developing and embedding NZ Police organisational response to critical incidents and the support system for police officers. She is currently Manager Operations Support, a role that encompasses the National Commander of the Special Tactics Group, supports operational practice, policy, tactics, training, equipment and uniform for Armed Offenders Squads and Police negotiating Teams across New Zealand.

  • Fit for Duty: Reintegration After Critical Operational Events

    This session will highlight the New Zealand Police Reintegration Programme. The programme is designed to support officers returning to duty after experiencing work-related traumatic events, such as officer-involved shootings, serious injury, or lifethreatening incidents. Its primary goal is to help staff regain confidence and resume operational duties safely, using a structured, individually paced process. Throughout, the programme emphasizes trust and confidentiality, and works collaboratively with the involved officer’s health professionals to ensure each officer receives tailored, comprehensive support.

Detective A/Sergeant Nathan Langdown

ACT Policing

  • Detective A/Sergeant Nathan Langdown has been a police officer within ACT Policing for 10 years. For the last 5 of those years, he has worked within the Major Crime Squad. Nathan is currently the Team Leader for the Major Crime Squad – Belconnen responsible for the investigation of the most serious crime within the ACT, such as aggravated robberies, serious assaults, firearm offences and complicated deaths. Highlights of his career include a successful Manslaughter prosecution and the extradition of a child sex offender from Spain to Australia.

  • Case Study: Virtual Kidnapping

    This case study will examine virtual kidnapping, including its rise in occurrence, the profiles of victims, investigative challenges, and strategies for prevention and public awareness.

Act Sergeant Peter Romanis

Leading Senior Constable Mick Roscoe

Australian Federal Police

Victoria Police

  • Peter is a Detective Sergeant with the Victoria Police Major Collision Investigation Unit and PhD candidate with the University of Tasmania researching compassion fatigue in policing. His doctoral work is informed by lived experience and a previous scholarship through the Emergency Services Foundation, which enabled him to engage with international experts in trauma and resilience. He is committed to translating evidence into practical strategies that support the wellbeing of those who serve.

  • Sustaining Those Who Serve: Exploring Compassion Fatigue and Resilience in Policing

    Policing demands more than operational skill - it requires emotional labor, exposure to trauma, and resilience under public scrutiny. Over time, these pressures can take a toll.

    This presentation explores compassion fatigue: a form of cumulative wear and tear, both psychological and physical, arising from the combined effects of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. When amplified by organisational demands, it can quietly erode empathy, emotional regulation, and connection to purpose - often without clear signs.

  • Mick Roscoe Federal Agent, Professional Development Team, Operational Safety and Practice, Learning and Development Command. Mick Roscoe has over 52 years of combined experience in the British Royal Marines and three Australian Police Tactical Groups (PTG), with active service in Northern Ireland and Iraq. He has played a pivotal role in curriculum design and training implementation in South Australia, Queensland, ACT, Iraq, and the Asia-Pacific region. Mick’s academic studies and research publication on stress, perception, and memory during lifethreatening incidents aided the development of Threat Assessment Dynamics (TAD); methodologies designed to enhance cognitive and physical performance under extreme pressure.

  • Threat Assessment Dynamics: Understanding behaviour in high stress environments

    This session will cover Threat Assessment Dynamics (TAD), an evidence-based course designed to improve officer safety, decision-making and operational outcomes during weapon-related critical incidents. It is grounded in cutting-edge research on the neuroscience of human performance under stress.

Assistant Commissioner Simon Watkins

South Australia Police

  • Simon Watkins was appointed Assistant Commissioner, South Australia Police in 2023. With over 22 years of policing experience, he has created first class standards of operational and strategic leadership across diverse portfolios. He drives enduring organisational change, and understands and mitigates strategic risk through application of best practice. In his current role of Assistant Commissioner, Governance and Capability Service he is responsible for a wide range of policing functions encompassing Ethical and Professional Standards Branch, Commissioner’s Support Branch, Communication and Engagement Branch, and Office of the General Counsel. His portfolio is responsible for anticipating and responding to, the demand for policing services, improving access to and the use of, information; performance reporting to the SAPOL executive, government and the public; driving performance policy and strategy development; supporting legislative reform and identifying and addressing emerging issues.

  • Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics in Police Discipline

    Simon’s session will explore how AI can assist in monitoring officer behaviour, identifying trends, and predicting misconduct before it escalates and how it can address ethical concerns and potential biases in automated disciplinary processes.

Jehan Casinader

Journalist, Speaker & Mental Health Advocate

  • Jehan Casinader is an award-winning New Zealand journalist, keynote speaker and mental health advocate. His was named “Reporter of the Year” at the New Zealand Television Awards, and “Best Political Columnist” at the Voyager Media Awards. In the aftermath of natural disasters, terror attacks, sporting triumphs and everything in between, Jehan has helped hundreds of people to share their deeply personal stories. A survivor of depression and suicidality, Jehan is the author of “This Is Not How It Ends: How rewriting your story can save your life” (HarperCollins). He is an official ambassador for Men’s Health Week. Now, Jehan works with organisations to unleash the power of storytelling. He is a respected voice in the areas of mental health, leadership and workplace culture.

  • Generation Next

    In his keynote presentation, Jehan will explore how Generation Z is challenging traditional views that will impact police recruitment and retention. They’re asking bold questions: What’s the purpose? Does loyalty count for anything? And will a demanding, full-time job really satisfy their desires?

Speakers

Ema Blatancic

Victoria Police

  • Ema Blatancic is the Senior Forensic Psychologist and Clinical Lead of Victoria Police’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Unit. She has over 10 years’ experience in the assessment and treatment of young people within the criminal justice system, with research achievements focused on adult and adolescent serious mental illness and its relationship to violent behaviour. Previously, Ema worked in the Service Enhancement team supporting the Victorian Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (VFTAC) and presented at the Asia Pacific Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (APATAP) Conference on assessing and treating fixated threat and grievance-fuelled violence. She served on the working group and steering committee that established the Countering Violent Extremism Multi-Agency Panel (CVEMAP) in 2022. Ema also developed the first bespoke CVE Case Management Framework and Model implemented by Victoria Police’s CVE Unit in 2024.

  • A Review of Neurodiversity within Victoria’s Terrorism Context

    Ema will present on the findings of a project to explore and address the increasing prevalence of neurodiversity within the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) and broader Counter Terrorism Command (CTC) cohort. This session will cover the varying vulnerabilities that may lead to radicalisation towards violent extremism.

Superintendant Andrew Evans

NSW Police Force

  • Andrew joined New South Wales Police Force in 1999. He has dedicated much of his career to criminal investigation as a Detective at Command level, State Crime Command and the Australian Crime Commission. He was appointed to the rank of Superintendent in 2023 as the Commander, North West Police Transport Command a role he thoroughly enjoys. Developing Operation Waratah, establishing intelligence systems and tactical methods to identify and locate violent offenders on the transport network. In April 2024 he was the Commander of Strike Force Dribs, the response and investigation into the civil unrest at Wakeley after a religious leader was stabbed. Restoring calm and community confidence quickly and placing 41 persons before Court. Formally he holds a Master of Business Administration and graduate certificate in Applied Management.

  • Police Transport Command Led Operations to Enhance Public Safety: Addressing sexual and violent offences on the public transport network and targeting weapons offences

    This session explores enhancements to NSWPF’s oversight of sexual offending on public transport. New measures introduced to target sexual offenders have resulted in a reduction of 30% of sexual offending on the public transport network.

Detective Acting Sergeant Nathanael Holdsworth

ACT Policing

  • Nathanael Holdsworth began his policing career with ACT Policing in 2016 and has served in a range of operational roles, including general duties, AFP National, and the Major Crime Squad. He is currently seconded to Operation AEGIS, a joint taskforce between the AFP and the ABF, investigating breaches of bridging visa holders. Nathanael has led complex investigations into serious and high-profile offences. Career highlights include a national investigation into a virtual kidnapping scam involving a physical unlawful confinement, and the recent resolution of a case involving the theft of nearly $1 million in valuables, a kidnapping, and links to OMCGs.

  • Case Study: Virtual Kidnapping

    This case study will examine virtual kidnapping, including its rise in occurrence, the profiles of victims, investigative challenges, and strategies for prevention and public awareness.

Detective Sergeant Liam O’Mahony

ACT Policing

  • Liam O’Mahony is a Detective Sergeant of the Business Capability & Improvement Team within ACT Policing (ACTP). The role involves reviewing and analysing Judicial Operations (JO) business processes and managing projects that focus upon improving operational processes currently being undertaken by ACTP members. Liam has been involved in the delivery of projects such as the Proof of Life technology, Biometric Capture revitalisation and the procurement of the Ozone Cleaner for the ACT Regional Watch House. Liam has worked for the AFP/ACT for 23 years as a sworn operational member across fields including Counter Terrorism and Sensitive Investigations, Drugs and Organised Crime, the Anti-Gangs Taskforce and ACT Community Policing. Liam has studied a Bachelor of Business (Management) and a Bachelor of Justice Studies at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

  • The Watch House Readiness Team

    In 2024, the ACT established a dedicated Watch House Team to focus upon the training, governance and administrative duties for all Watch House staff. The ACT Watch House has introduced trialling the Vital Signs Monitoring (VSM) technological solution which uses radar devices to increase prisoner supervision capability by utilising technology that focuses on proof-of-life measuring and notification.

Detective Chief Inspector Jason Smith

NSW Police Force

  • Detective Chief Inspector Jason Smith has over 36 years of frontline and specialist policing experience, from undercover operations to leading major investigations into drugs, firearms, robbery, organised and financial crime. His career has focused on targeting and disrupting high-risk criminal networks. Since 2022, he has worked with the NSWPF Cybercrime Squad, leading specialist teams including Online Covert Engagement. Jason has led many successful strike force investigations targeting criminal groups involved in the trafficking of drugs and illicit commodities on the Darkweb.

  • Policing the Shadows: Challenges and trends in Darknet Investigations

    This session offers an overview of the challenges faced by law enforcement in combating illicit drug trafficking on the Darknet. Attendees will gain operational insights into how the NSW Police Force Cybercrime Squad identifies, targets, and disrupts criminal networks operating Darknet markets. The session will also touch on emerging trends and methodologies of Darknet vendors.

Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan KPM

South Wales Police

  • Jeremy began his policing career in 1996 with North Wales Police, rising to Chief Superintendent and leading Local Policing Services. In 2016, he joined South Wales Police as Assistant Chief Constable with responsibility for Specialist Operations, including Professional Standards, Criminal Justice, Operational Planning and the Public Service Centre. In 2017 he took responsibility for the Territorial Policing portfolio including leading on Neighbourhood and Response Policing and was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable in 2019. Jeremy is the Vice Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council which brings together UK police leaders to set direction in policing and drive progress for the public. He is also the Chair of the NPCC Science and Innovation Coordination Committee (SICC), which aims to provide strategic guidance and direction for the delivery and implementation of the National Policing Science and Technology (S&T) Strategy. Jeremy is the UK Policing Lead for HeForShe, UN Women’s global movement for gender equality. A fluent Welsh speaker, Jeremy was appointed to the Gorsedd Cymru in 2019 for services to the Welsh language in policing. In December 2024 he received a King’s Police Medal (KPM) for services to policing.

  • Policing what matters: insights from the Uk on policing reform

Detective Inspector Graham Banks

Victoria Police

  • Detective Inspector Graham Banks is the Senior Investigating Officer for Taskforce Lunar, which was established in October 2023 to target the ongoing conflict between serious and organised crime groups seeking to control the illicit tobacco market in Victoria. Prior to his current role, Graham was the in charge of the Victoria Police Echo Taskforce and Gang Crime Squad. These units are responsible for investigating acts of serious violence and organised crime committed by OMCG, middle eastern organised crime groups and other gangs. Graham has a Graduate Diploma in Executive Leadership and a Masters in Organisational Leadership.

  • Serious and Organised Crime: Innovative strategies and multi-agency partnerships targeting high level SOC and MEOC assets gained from the illicit tobacco market

    This session will explore recent legislative advancements in Victoria to tackle unexplained wealth, cryptocurrency seizure powers, and tobacco reform. It will look at challenges posed by the criminal use of cryptocurrency and encryption to traditional investigative frameworks and discuss collaboration and intel sharing with state and federal partner agencies.

Detective Inspector Rebecca Davis

Tasmania Police

  • With a nearly 30-year career in policing, Rebecca is currently the Detective Inspector in charge of the Safe Families Coordination Unit (SFCU) within the Family and Sexual Violence Command. This role is responsible for Tasmania Police’s commitment and collaboration within the Tasmanian whole-of-government response to family violence, Safe at Home, and providing strategic support and advice to the executive of Tasmanian Government agencies. The SFCU is a statewide collaborative unit that undertakes cumulative assessment of risk and harm to coordinate agency operational responses and services for victims of family violence and to hold perpetrators accountable.

  • Behind Closed Doors: A Shared Response to Prevent Family Violence

    Tasmania Police, in collaboration with the Small Steps 4 Hannah Foundation and the Department of Justice, has introduced specialised face-to-face workshops on coercive control training. Delivered to approximately 2,500 participants so far, this session will explore how the program equips police and communities to disrupt family violence effectively, framing it as a collective societal responsibility.

Detective Superintendant Jason Dickinson APM

NSW Police Force

  • Jason has over 32 years policing experience with much of his career spent in specialist investigative duties including with the Child Protection & Sex Crimes Squad, Fraud & Cybercrime Squad, and the Homicide Squad. In 2022 Jason joined the Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics command leading the Anti Terrorism & Intelligence Group before moving to his current role leading the Terrorism Investigations Squad. In 2023 Jason completed the Leadership in Counter Terrorism Program. He has also completed the Executive Development Scheme and holds several tertiary qualifications including a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Investigations (Management).

  • Strike force pearl: NSW Police Force response to serious hate crime and offences targeting places of worship in 2024

    Strike Force PEARL was established by the NSW Police Force in response to a series of significant hate related crimes and serious offending targeting places of worship. The strike force included both proactive policing strategies and specialist investigative responses to the crimes committed across Sydney. It resulted in dozens of offenders arrested and put before the courts for a broad range of significant charges.

Emma Guo

ACT Policing

  • Emma Guo is the Senior Team Leader in the Legislation and Governance section within ACT Policing. Emma’s teams are responsible for leading ACT Policing’s law reform and policy agenda, including through the recent implementation and operationalisation of the minimum age of criminal responsibility reforms. Emma completed her studies at the Australian National University, obtaining a Master of Criminology, Justice and Regulation and a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and International Security Studies. Emma’s previous Government experience was at the Department of Home Affairs and Attorney-General’s Department, with a policy focus on aviation and maritime security and modern slavery and human trafficking.

  • Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility in the ACT

    In 2025 the ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) to 14 years. This session will cover policy and operational challenges that accompanied the reforms, including a staggered roll-out of support services and a shift in responsibilities for police.

Detective Superintendent Hamish McKenzie

WA Police Force

  • Hamish McKenzie is a highly accomplished law enforcement professional with over 38 years of experience in policing. Hamish was the previous head of the WA Police Sex Crimes Division and Chair of the Australia and New Zealand Child Protection Working Group (Operation Griffin). In 2019, Hamish was seconded to INTERPOL's Crimes against Children Unit, where he collaborated with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to prevent transnational child sex offenders from gaining employment in international humanitarian aid organizations. This experience provided him with invaluable insights into the global landscape of sexual crimes against vulnerable members of our community.

  • Online Reporting - Safe2Say

    This session will showcase Safe2Say, an anonymous reporting platform developed by Crime Stoppers WA in close collaboration with WA Police, academics, and industry partners. The platform's unique combination of anonymous, two-way communication and trauma-informed design has made it possible for individuals to report in their own time, on their own terms. Safe2Say significantly improves the capacity of police, particularly within sensitive investigative units, to safely and effectively engage with victim-survivors.

Professor Lawrence Sherman

Benchmark Cambridge

  • Lawrence Sherman is an experimental criminologist whose innovations in policing have been tested and adopted in the UK, US, Australia and Europe. Since 2024 he has served as CEO of Benchmark Cambridge, the global subsidiary of Benchmark Analytics (USA). His prior roles include Chief Scientific Officer, Metropolitan Police Service (London); Director, Cambridge University Institute of Criminology; Chair, University of Pennsylvania Criminology: Director of Research, Police Foundation (US) and adjunct professorships at Australian National University and University of Queensland.

  • Predict to Prevent: A Cambridge Strategy for Police Wellness

Detective Sergeant Joshua Wood

Tasmania Police

  • Joshua is a Detective Sergeant with Tasmania Police, with over 10 years of experience working across the state in both uniform and detective roles. He’s led investigations into serious crimes, including family violence murders, and now works in the Safe Families Co-ordination Unit. He works closely with other government agencies to assess risk, develop policy, deliver frontline training, and monitor family violence incidents statewide to identify risks, response/information gaps and implement appropriate strategies. Josh also oversees the Family Law Court Liaison Officers and works with the electronic monitoring of family violence offenders. He is passionate about continually improving responses to family violence in Tasmania.

  • Behind Closed Doors: A Shared Response to Prevent Family Violence

    Tasmania Police, in collaboration with the Small Steps 4 Hannah Foundation and the Department of Justice, has introduced specialised face-to-face workshops on coercive control training. Delivered to approximately 2,500 participants so far, this session will explore how the program equips police and communities to disrupt family violence effectively, framing it as a collective societal responsibility.

Dee Madigan

Executive Creative Director & Founding Partner of Campaign Edge

  • Dee grew tired of selling people things they didn’t need, which led her to establish Campaign Edge in 2014, focusing primarily on the progressive space. She is an award-winning creative professional who has worked with some of Australia’s largest brands across various categories, including FMCG, banking and finance, health, and education. Additionally, she collaborates with a range of unions and has served as the Creative Director for the Labor Party during 24 election campaigns, including the 2015, 2017, and 2020 Queensland campaigns, as well as the 2022 federal election and the 2025 federal election. Recognized as one of Australia’s leading campaign strategists, she effectively uses creativity as a tool to persuade audiences. She is a panellist on the television program Gruen (ABC TV) and frequently appears on Sunrise (Channel 7), the Today Show (Channel 9), and The Project (Channel 10). Furthermore, she is the author of The Hard Sell and a contributing author for several works, including Mothermorphosis, Perspectives on Change, and Unbreakable. She serves on the boards of Per Capita and Australians for Mental Health.

  • How to rebuild trust in your organisation’s brand

    Dee will explore how public-facing institutions like police and government agencies - can use strategic communication and creativity to strengthen community trust and rebuild reputation.

Assistant Commissioner Sandra Booth

Australian Federal Police

  • In July 2024, Sandra was promoted to Assistant Commissioner AUKUS Command. Sandra is responsible for the design and delivery of the AFP’s security strategy to support the Australian Nuclear Submarine program, managing the AFP’s commitment to the Australian Defence Force through the provision of Protective Services and building a future-ready Protective Service Officer (PSO) workforce committed to contributing to Australia's sovereignty. Sandra has been a member of the AFP since 2000 and has a broad range of policing and leadership experience across domestic and international domains, including commanding the AFP College, Counter Terrorism, Organised Crime, Child Protection, Protection Operations, Community Policing and Investigations.

  • The Australian Federal Police's role in the AUKUS initiative

    Established in July 2024, the AFPs AUKUS Command is responsible for the delivery of the AFP protective security overlay in support of the Australian Nuclear Submarine Program, under the AUKUS initiative. This session will explore how AFPs Protective Service Officer workforce is resilient, agile, informed, security conscious and future ready, capable of protecting Australia’s national interests over the next decade and beyond.

Esther Giang

ACT Policing

  • Esther Giang is an Acting Team Leader of the Legislation and Policy team within ACT Policing, which formulates and coordinates whole-of-agency engagement on legislative reform. Esther was significantly involved in developing the ACT Policing position on raising the age of criminal responsibility in the Australian Capital Territory and was one of the policy leads to implement and operationalise this legislation, including training more than 700 staff. Esther’s previous Government experience was at the Attorney-General’s Department, Department of Home Affairs and Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Esther studied a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of New South Wales.

  • Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility in the ACT

    In 2025 the ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) to 14 years. This session will cover policy and operational challenges that accompanied the reforms, including a staggered roll-out of support services and a shift in responsibilities for police.

Michael Jeh

Small Steps for Hannah

  • Michael Jeh designed and now presents Hannah's Story around Australia to a multitude of audiences. He has been working in the DV education sector for 20+ years, long before it became the touchstone issue it is now. He cites the collaboration with Tasmania Police as the most significant milestone in this journey to help save lives through the courage and grace of Small Steps 4 Hannah.

  • Behind Closed Doors: A Shared Response to Prevent Family Violence

    Tasmania Police, in collaboration with the Small Steps 4 Hannah Foundation and the Department of Justice, has introduced specialised face-to-face workshops on coercive control training. Delivered to approximately 2,500 participants so far, this session will explore how the program equips police and communities to disrupt family violence effectively, framing it as a collective societal responsibility.

Dr Rob Orr

Bond University

  • Professor Rob Orr began his career in the Australian Army as an infantry soldier, later transitioning to the Physical Training Instructor and physiotherapy streams. Retiring for service as a Human Performance Officer, he joined Bond University, where he now leads the Tactical Research Unit; a globally connected centre collaborating with academia, industry, and operational agencies.

    Professor Orr’s research, consultancy, and training delivery focus is on load carriage, physical conditioning, rehabilitation, and injury prevention for tactical populations including law enforcement, military, firefighters, paramedics, and first responders. His work spans the full occupational lifecycle, from trainees to specialists. He served as editor for the NSCA Tactical Strength and Conditioning Technical Report (2015–2020) and has contributed to international committees and congresses including the International Physical Employment Standards Conference and International Congress on Soldiers’ Physical Performance. With over 380 publications and technical reports, Professor Orr has received multiple awards for research outcomes, publications, presentations, and teaching. He has delivered keynotes at leading institutions worldwide and is currently ranked among the top 10 global researchers in law enforcement studies.

  • Police officer fitness: Current and future factor impacts

    Maintaining officer fitness is essential for effective policing, as poor fitness is linked to higher injury rates in trainees, absenteeism in attested officers, and decreases in operational outcomes (e.g. excessive use of force). Yet, rising sedentarism and obesity, reduced movement skills, and post-COVID impacts are shrinking the pool of fit recruits and increasing risks for serving officers. These trends pose increasing and significant challenges to recruiting, training, and sustaining a fit police workforce.

Senior Sergeant Jarrod Walsh

New Zealand Police

  • Jarod began his career as a Police Officer in 1997 and was posted to Waikato working in various frontline and investigative roles.

    In 2003 he joined the Waikato Armed Offenders Squad and became a team leader on the squad when he promoted to Sergeant in 2010. He is still on the squad and enjoys developing the leadership skills of junior NCO’s.

    As a Sergeant Jarod worked in investigative and response roles and spent time in operations planning before being seconded to Police National Headquarters to set up and develop the Police reintegration program.

    Following this he returned to Waikato District and promoted to Senior Sergeant – Tactical Operations Coordinator while maintaining reintegration work as a portfolio.

    Jarod has personally been involved in a number of critical incidents and is passionate about looking after Police staff who have been involved in similar traumatic incidents. Jarod’s wife also works for Police in a civilian role, and they have two boys one of whom also wants a career in Police.

  • Fit for Duty: Reintegration After Critical Operational Events

    This session will highlight the New Zealand Police Reintegration Programme. The programme is designed to support officers returning to duty after experiencing work-related traumatic events, such as officer-involved shootings, serious injury, or lifethreatening incidents. Its primary goal is to help staff regain confidence and resume operational duties safely, using a structured, individually paced process. Throughout, the programme emphasizes trust and confidentiality, and works collaboratively with the involved officer’s health professionals to ensure each officer receives tailored, comprehensive support.