15 February, 2023
New cop keeping Leyburn safe
Senior Constable Brendan Stokes has been Officer in Charge of the Leyburn Police Station since early January.
Snr Constable Stokes had been working at Toowoomba previously.
As the only officer for the Leyburn division, which covers the township of Leyburn and its surrounding district as well as Old Talgai, Pratten, Karara and part of Ellangowan, Snr Constable Stokes has been busy over his first few weeks getting to know people and getting things in order.
He said he has been helped by his Clifton and Allora colleagues and enjoys working with them.
He said there have been differences between working at Leyburn compared to the city.
“There’s more isolation. I’m used to working with heaps of colleagues, having people to bounce things off,” he said.
Originally from the Gold Coast, Snr Constable Stokes has been a police officer in Toowoomba for five years, working at both the Toowoomba and Drayton stations.
Alongside being a police officer, he is also an Army reservist and has been since 2000, occasionally going down to the RAAF base at Amberley.
He first joined the Army 30 years ago and his service included peacekeeping operations in Papua New Guinea.
Education has also played an important role in his life, completing degrees in both education and exercise science and working as a high school teacher.
Outside of work, Snr Constable Stokes is an avid sports buff, especially loving rugby league and tennis, as well as enjoying the outdoors, including camping and four-wheel driving.
He said the best way to contact him for non-urgent matters is through Policelink on 131 444 (urgent matters via 000).
Otherwise, you may be able to find him at the Leyburn station on Dove Street when he is not out on a job.
Senior Constable Sean Lynham was the previous officer at Leyburn.
