Community & Business
21 July, 2025
New cops on the beat in Millmerran
After what seemed to have been a continuous flow of staff over the last four years, new cops on the beat Sergeant Sam Angus and Senior Constable Jason Mole, have settled into their respective positions at Millmerran Police Station with a bold declaration - they’re here to stay.
Sgt. Angus took up the post of Officer in Charge at the station in April.
He relocated from Townsville to Millmerran with his wife and three children to be closer to family on the Darling Downs.
However, that wasn’t the only appeal.
Sgt. Angus was seeking a type of country policing position that is not just a job - it’s a lifestyle, with work-life balance and community connection.
After joining the Queensland Police Force (QPS) in 2012, Sgt. Angus was stationed in Central Queensland with stints in Winton and Anakie.
He even pursued a career as a Detective with the Criminal Investigation Branch for seven years at Blackwater and Mackay.
Before taking up the call to protect and serve, he completed an apprenticeship in Cookery and worked as a chef.
For S/C Mole, the decision to move to Millmerran was in pursuit of a change of pace and better work-life balance.
After purchasing property at Millmerran four years ago, S/C Mole and his wife decided it was time to make the move.
“I absolutely love it here,” he said.
“It took me thirty years to find it, but I feel like I’ve found that work-life balance here.”
S/C Mole graduated from the academy in 2012 and spent 13 years policing in the Bayside area.
The transition to Millmerran was made easy by the welcoming nature of the locals.
“Millmerran as a town has been very welcoming,” S/C Mole said.
“Everyone seems friendly, and happy to talk to you.
“They’re really glad to see police here.”
It will come as no surprise that a large portion of their policing work is related to domestic violence and civil disputes.
Sgt. Angus and S/C Mole acknowledged how the role of frontline policing has changed over the years to cover a myriad of social issues.
“…We’re domestic violence specialists, we’re mental health responders – we do everything,” Sgt. Angus said.
This is not unique to the QPS but a challenge faced by many Government Departments including health and education sectors, whereby staff are now required to encompass a wider range of responsibilities and expectations.
Sgt. Angus said his focus as Officer in Charge at Millmerran will be a balance of community policing, emergency responding and being proactive to educate the community on criminal and safety matters.
“Drugs is a high priority, traffic is a high priority,” he said.
“Property crime is fairly low, our biggest point of work realistically, other than DV, is traffic crashes.”
He said they are well supported by the Road Policing Unit from Brisbane, who visit weekly.
Sgt. Angus and S/C Mole hope to be in Millmerran indefinitely.
This would provide the town with a level of stability not seen since Sergeant Steve Ryan’s retirement in 2021.
You can drop by the Millmerran Police Station in Walpole Street and meet the team between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Wednesday.
Dawn Jocumsen will be able to assist with any administrative needs such as driver licensing, photo identification cards and practical driver testing.
While it’s encouraging to see the two positions filled in Millmerran, the wider staff retention crisis within the QPS is still having ripple effects on regional areas.
Pittsworth has been predominantly operating with only one active policeman, Sergeant Tim Hoffmann, although at times he has received brief assistance from relief officers.
At the time of writing, there was no active officer at Cecil Plains but the area was being monitored by Oakey police.
