Key Points
- Family, friends, and colleagues of police officers came together to observe a candlelight vigil ceremony at the Queensland Police Service (QPS) Academy before National Police Remembrance Day.
- The ceremony commemorated the 151 police officers whose names were on the honour roll of QPS and died while performing their duties.
- Each candle lit at the vigil ceremony signified one of the 151 officers.
- According to Acting Commissioner Brett Pointing APM, the vigil ceremony offered an opportunity for the service to pause and reflect on the officers who sacrificed their lives.
- Every name had a life, family, friends and colleagues, and even a whole community affected by their deaths.
- The vigil ceremony also paid tribute to the families, friends, and colleagues who continued to keep the memories and legacies of these fallen officers alive.
- QPS extended sympathies to the family, friends, and colleagues of New South Wales Police officer Constable Mia Lay who lost her life while on duty overnight.
- QPS offered its solidarity to New South Wales Police Force and all its policing community.
Wales (Wales Times) September 25, 2026 – Police officers, bereaved families, friends and colleagues have gathered at the Queensland Police Service Academy for a candlelight vigil honouring 151 Queensland officers who died while serving their communities.
The service was held ahead of National Police Remembrance Day and offered those present a quiet opportunity to reflect on the officers’ service and sacrifice. According to Mira News, the vigil recognised the 151 officers whose names are recorded on the QPS honour roll after they made the “ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.”
As the evening progressed, candles were lit throughout the academy. Each candle represented one of the 151 officers remembered on the honour roll, described by the QPS as a lasting record of those who gave their lives in the course of their duty.
What did the vigil recognise?
The vigil recognised not only the fallen officers themselves, but also the people who continue to live with the effects of their loss. Mira News reported that the occasion provided an opportunity to remember the families, friends and colleagues who carry the officers’ memories and legacies.
The names on the QPS honour roll are said to span generations of Queensland policing. The organisation described them as reflecting men and women who served their communities with courage, dedication and commitment.
The QPS said the service and sacrifice of Queensland’s fallen officers remain part of the broader QPS story and are carried forward by those who follow in their footsteps.
What did Acting Commissioner Brett Pointing say?
Acting Commissioner Brett Pointing APM said the vigil was an important opportunity for the service to pause and reflect on officers who had made the ultimate sacrifice.
As reported by Mira News, Acting Commissioner Pointing said:
“Last night, we paused to honour the officers who gave their lives protecting Queenslanders. Behind every name is a life, family, colleagues and community forever changed by their loss.”
He added that, while the event was solemn, it was also an opportunity to remember the lives the officers lived and the contribution they made through their service.
“ Their legacy endures through the generations of police officers who continue to serve Queensland,” Acting Commissioner Pointing said, according to Mira News.
He said the service and sacrifice of the officers would remain part of the history of policing in Queensland. “We honour their service and sacrifice. Their names will forever remain part of the history of policing in Queensland, and they will never be forgotten,” he said.
How were the officers remembered?
The candlelight format was central to the commemoration. As candles were extinguished at the end of the vigil, the QPS said the 151 names remained as a permanent reminder of those who gave everything in the service of others.
The academy gathering was described as an intimate vigil rather than a large public ceremony. It gave attendees space to reflect on individual officers and the wider loss felt across the policing community.
The event formed part of preparations for National Police Remembrance Day, an occasion observed to recognise police officers who have died while performing their duties.
What was said about Constable Mia Lay?
Alongside the tribute to the 151 Queensland officers, the QPS extended condolences following the death of New South uk/police/">Wales police officer Constable Mia Lay. Mira News reported that Constable Lay died in the line of duty overnight.
“The QPS extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of New South Wales police officer Constable Mia Lay, who tragically lost her life in the line of duty overnight,”
the QPS said in the statement reported by Mira News.
The QPS said it stood with its “extended blue family”, the New South Wales Police Force, and recognised them during what it described as a difficult time.
The Queensland service closed its message with the words: “With honour they served.”
Background of the development
National Police Remembrance Day is observed in Australia to honour police officers who have died while serving their communities. The Queensland candlelight vigil was held in the lead-up to the commemorative day and focused on the officers listed on the QPS honour roll.
The 151 names represent officers from across generations of Queensland policing. The QPS describes its honour roll as a permanent record of officers who gave their lives in the course of their duty, with their service carried forward by serving officers and remembered by their families, colleagues and communities.
The vigil also came at a moment of renewed loss for Australian policing, following the reported death of New South Wales Police officer Constable Mia Lay overnight. The QPS used the occasion to express solidarity with its New South Wales counterparts and Constable Lay’s family, friends and colleagues.
Prediction: How this development can affect the policing community
For serving officers, the vigil may reinforce the personal and institutional importance of remembering colleagues who died on duty. The QPS framing emphasises continuity between past and present officers, which can support collective identity and shared responsibility within the service.
For bereaved families and friends, the event may provide a recognised public moment of remembrance and confirmation that their relatives’ service remains acknowledged. The QPS specifically highlighted the ongoing role of families, friends and colleagues in carrying the officers’ memories and legacies.
For the wider Queensland community, the vigil may increase awareness of the risks associated with police work and the human impact of officer deaths. The inclusion of Constable Mia Lay’s death also signals cross-jurisdictional solidarity among Australian police forces during a period of loss.
