Suncorp : Police Scholarship winners to tackle financial crime

Media Release

Two Queensland Police Service (QPS) detectives will undertake extensive research into helping prevent the $6 billion-worth of fraud and financial crime that impacts Australia each year, after winning the 2017 Suncorp Police Scholarship.

This year's winners, Detective Inspector Peter Brewer and Acting Detective Sergeant Dale Caulfield, will receive a $20,000 grant to research best-practice techniques to investigate and prosecute financial crime and fraud more efficiently and effectively.

Suncorp Chief Risk Officer Fiona Thompson announced the recipients of the Scholarship alongside Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart.

Ms Thompson said Suncorp was proud to support efforts to improve the financial wellbeing of Queenslanders.

"Financial crime, cyber fraud and identity theft have a wide-reaching impact on the community. Anyone of us can be targeted by fraudsters and forced into financial distress," she said.

"The research that Inspector Brewer and Acting Sergeant Caulfield will undertake promises to make a huge difference to the way we counter major financial fraud in Queensland.

"Suncorp would like to congratulate both of these officers on their achievement and we are proud to support the great work the QPS does to benefit the community."

Commissioner Stewart announced both officers would embark on a study tour to the New Zealand Serious Fraud Office in Auckland, the Los Angeles Security Exchange and the Serious Fraud Office in London.

"Inspector Brewer and Acting Sergeant Caulfield will now travel overseas to develop a greater understanding of how to combat serious financial crime and to provide ideas and momentum to new investigative approaches and disruption strategies," Commissioner Stewart said.

The Suncorp Police Scholarship provides QPS leaders and managers the opportunity to undertake leadership development, research and study which will benefit QPS and the community as a whole.

Now in its fourth year, the Scholarship focuses on crime prevention, road safety or disaster management preparedness, response and recovery, and can be undertaken in Australia or overseas.

To download still images and a video news release from the 2017 Suncorp Police Scholarship presentation, please follow this link.

Media Michael Mills 0405 805 489 1