WHAT IS THE
SHERIFFS ACT ?
The Sheriff’s Act (Queensland) 2025 proposes the establishment of community-based Sheriff’s Offices across Queensland’s Local Government Areas — a new model of locally accountable, legally empowered civil enforcement and public safety.
These offices would operate under state law, but be locally appointed or elected, and staffed by professionally trained Deputies and Sheriff’s Officers drawn from the communities which they serve.
The Sheriff’s role is focused, not broad: civil enforcement, public order, local compliance, and summary offences. Their reach is local. Their powers are defined. Their presence is familiar.
This model is designed to address long-standing gaps in lower-level enforcement, particularly in regional and rural areas, by introducing a clearly defined public safety role that works alongside the state police, without the duplication of powers or purpose.
“A Sheriff’s Office operates as a local civil enforcement and public safety body, established under state legislation but grounded in its Local Government Area. It exists to manage matters of public order, local compliance, and civil enforcement — particularly in areas where state policing resources may be limited, delayed, or diverted to higher-priority criminal matters.”
The Sheriff's Office works in coordination with the Queensland Police Service, but maintains defined jurisdiction, focused responsibilities, and its own command structure. It is not a second police force. It is a complementary service, operating where local familiarity and lawful authority make the most difference.
Core Functions of a Sheriff's Office
Sheriffs and their Deputies would be authorised to:
Enforce local ordinances
(e.g. noise complaints, signage rules, public nuisance laws, and business compliance)Serve and execute civil court documents and orders
(e.g. evictions, seizure of property, and warrants of possession)Respond to summary offences
(e.g. trespass, minor assault, street-level disturbances, and anti-social behaviour)Maintain public order through patrols and a visible local presence
(focusing on early intervention, de-escalation, and community engagement)Assist QPS in emergencies or priority incidents
(under structured coordination protocols and within a legally defined role)
All Sheriff personnel would be certified to Queensland policing standards, subject to annual retraining, and operate under strict conduct and oversight provisions.
The Sheriff’s Role: a Local Mandate, With Lawful Reach
In addition to leading the Office, the Sheriff holds distinct statutory powers: issuing compliance notices, initiating enforcement actions, swearing in Deputies, and acting as a formal point of contact with the Public, Council, QPS, and the Courts.
Where permitted by law — and with written QPS approval — the Sheriff may also investigate select indictable offences within their jurisdiction. These investigations are carried out under the same legal standards as any sworn public officer and remain subject to all usual evidentiary and procedural rules.
The Sheriff is not a QPS detective. But in certain matters, they may carry out similar investigative work — particularly where early action, local presence, or continuity of oversight is important.
The difference is not in powers, but in position: the Sheriff is based in the community, known to its people, and able to act without delay or detachment.
Their value is in being reliable, lawful, and already on the ground.
Legal & Operational limits
The Sheriff’s Office, including all sworn staff, operate under strict legal boundaries and with external oversight. While empowered to enforce laws and maintain public order, they must not:
Investigate or manage serious (indictable) offences without written authorisation from the Queensland Police Service (QPS).
→ Deputies may only be present in such matters as first responders or when directly assisting under the Sheriff’s supervision.
→ The Sheriff may be granted limited investigative authority where appropriate, particularly in sensitive or ongoing local cases, but only under defined legal conditions and with state police approval.Engage in tactical or high-risk operations independently unless authorised by law and operating in coordination with state police.
Exercise powers outside their Local Government Area (LGA)
Accept political endorsements, campaign donations, or private funding under any circumstances.
All field activity must be:
Recorded via body-worn camera
Logged in a state-integrated digital system
Subject to review by a Community Oversight Committee
How It Would Be Introduced
Councils can apply to the Minister for Justice to establish a Sheriff’s Office within in their Local Government Area
The State will fund between 50% and 70% of the operational benchmark, with a guaranteed minimum of $385,000 per Office annually. Councils facing financial hardship may be eligible for full funding upon approval by the Minister.
A 2-year pilot program runs in 3–5 LGAs before broader implementation
State agencies (QPS, Attorney-General, Auditor-General) assess outcomes based on defined performance metrics
State-wide expansion will proceed only if pilot sites achieve at least 80% of defined performance indicators, as determined by a joint review from QPS and the Auditor-General
