Launceston Police Station to gain 16 recruits, including former Queensland cop Luke Bacon

A former tradie, Constable Bacon is one of 16 new constables headed to Launceston as part of a record-breaking cohort of 74 Tasmania Police recruits.

He is a fresh graduate, but Constable Bacon is not a rookie having spent 16 months serving in the Queensland Police Service.

He and his wife had long-term plans to move to Tasmania, however in 2020 a sudden change of circumstance set that ball rolling earlier than planned.

"We were down here for a family funeral and I received a job offer and a house," Constable Bacon said.

"COVID was starting to kick off so we decided to move earlier than initially planned."

The pair settled in Tasmania and started their family, and eventually Constable Bacon was accepted into the northern-based academy course.

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Although his old jurisdiction was thousands of kilometres away, Constable Bacon found himself on a familiar footing.

"Having a Queensland Police background certainly helped me, it gave me an understanding of legislation beforehand," he said.

"It also allowed me to help my fellow recruits.

"For a lot of them, it's a completely new thing to learn legislation. Having had that experience, I was able to share it through the whole thing."

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Constable Bacon said the opportunity to train in the north was valuable as it meant he could be close to his young children, one of them nearly two-years-old and the other soon to turn one.

His collaborative attitude earned Constable Bacon the Shaun Pullen Award for team spirit, something decided by a poll of his peers.

"It was quite nice of them to do that for me," he said.

"Of all the awards it's probably one that, if any, I wanted to get."

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The recent graduate said there were "almost endless" opportunities in the police service, and urged anybody considering a career change to take that leap.

"Have a go," Constable Bacon said.

"It's a very rewarding career. Every day is different.

"There's so many different areas within the police that you can work, it's one of those careers where the options are almost endless."

As for his own aspirations in the police service, Constable Bacon said he was content to "sink his teeth" into general duties.

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This, he said, would help him do what he always wanted - make a meaningful difference in the community.

"There's always been a side of me that wanted to be in a career that's not just about me making money, it's serving others," Constable Bacon said.

"Being able to support victims and people in their most vulnerable moments, and to deal with the people that are hurting those people, I think it's a great opportunity."

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