Quick Facts
Biography
Robert 'Bob' Atkinson, AO APM was the Queensland Police Commissioner from 2000 until his retirement in 2012. In 2013 Atkinson was appointed one of six Royal Commissioners to the Australian Government Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Career
Atkinson was sworn in as constable on 30 October 1968 and began a 44-year career with the Queensland Police Service where he performed a wide range of operational and managerial roles. In his career with the Queensland Police Service, he served throughout Queensland from Goondiwindi to Cairns. He was a detective for approximately 20 years and acted as the police prosecutor in various Magistrates Courts during this period. Atkinson oversaw reforms after the Fitzgerald inquiry from 1990 and following the Public Sector Management Commission Review and Report Recommendations of the Queensland Police Service in 1993.
In 1989 he attended the three-month FBI National Academy Course at Quantico, Virginia, in the United States. He again attended the FBI Academy during 2002 for the National Executive Institute Program. Atkinson graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Graduate Certificate in Police Management; he has also completed the Police Executive Leadership Programme at the Australian Institute of Police Management in addition to studies undertaken at the FBI National Academy. He has been conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by Griffith University.
Honours and awards
| Honours and awards | Date awarded | Citation | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) | 26 January 2013 | For distinguished service to policing and to the community of Queensland, through leadership in law enforcement, community and cultural engagement, improved service delivery and contributions to professional development. |
 | Australian Police Medal (APM) | 12 June 1995 | |
 | National Emergency Medal | ||
 | National Police Service Medal | ||
 | Centenary Medal | 1 January 2001 | For distinguished service to the public sector. |
 | National Medal & 2 Bars | 29 March 1985 | National Medal |
| 2 December 1994 | National Medal - 1st Bar | ||
| 2004 | National Medal - 2nd Bar; totalling 35–44 years service | ||
 | 2010-2011 Queensland Flood and Cyclone Citation | Queensland | |
Atkinson has also been awarded the Queensland Police Service Medal.