Inspector Corey Allen

Inspector Allen joined the Police Service in November 1986 graduating second in his squad and has served in a wide range of areas. He is currently appointed as the manager of Field Training at the Qld Police Academy providing development and education for more than 500 First Year Constables and 2800 in service Constables.

He was formerly the Officer in Charge of Queensland's largest station - Brisbane City and had performed duties as OIC at Fortitude Valley, OIC Indooroopilly Division, Operations Tactician for Brisbane West District, a team leader with the Public Safety Response Team and a team leader in the Tactical Crime Squad. He has lectured at the Qld Police Academy, worked at Brisbane Mobile Patrols and served at a number of suburban stations.

As Officer in Charge of the Street Prostitution Unit in 2002 Senior Sergeant Allen’s team significantly reduced the number of women at risk in the industry by actively targeting drug dealing, assaults against street workers and increasing referral and support for women and men at risk.

In 2011 Corey travelled overseas on a Churchill Fellowship studying police engagement of young homeless and rough sleepers. He worked and lived in difficult areas where homelessness is high in New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. This experience helped develop a local program targeting young homeless persons in Brisbane that was awarded the State Child Protection Award 2013 for diverting young people from homelessness using cultural and community of origin connections.

In October 2013 Corey was awarded Alumnus of the Year for Griffith University School of Criminology and over all Alumnus of the Year for the faculty of Arts Education and Law.

His scope of responsibility as one of the longest serving Officers in Charge of the City Division presented opportunity to influence the development of a large number of junior police in an area which has a high volume of alcohol related issues, special events, vulnerable persons, homeless and youth sleeping rough.

His community focused approach has extended and been supported by his family. Together with his wife Tracey they have been foster parents to more than 25 young children in emergent situations and have three children of their own.

Career highlights include the recent receipt of the National Crime and Violence Prevention award (2010) for work at Kelvin Grove Urban Village, helping to reconnect and stabilise a rapidly growing affordable housing community.

In 2012 he received a second and third National Crime and Violence Prevention Award for the City Police Vulnerable Persons Strategy guiding a long term approach to strategic policing in the City and the Joined Up Street Team Patrols where together front line police and youth workers conduct face to face outreach in the hot spots around the City after hours.

Project Aegis, a police partnership targeting the diversion and misuse of pharmaceutical drugs was acknowledged as the most outstanding law enforcement project of the year at the National Drug and Alcohol Awards (2013).

In 2013 his project “Youth Cultural Hotspots” was the State Child Protection Award winner and later in 2014 notched up a fourth National Crime Prevention Award from the Australian Institute of Criminology.

Senior Sergeant Allen was a Queensland finalist in the local hero category Australian of the Year Awards 2010. He was made a Paul Harris Fellow in 2010 by Rotary Brisbane Mid City in recognition of his commitment to the community through his personal example and the leadership shown to police in the City.