Joining Tasmania Police was never part of the plan for Kate Chambers, Senior Sergeant and recent member of the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team (JCTT).

“I always wanted to be a paramedic and completed work experience as a firefighter,” said Kate.

“In 1997 neither Ambulance Tasmania nor Tasmania Fire Service were recruiting and I saw the Tasmania Police advertisement for ‘100 jobs, 1 career’ and I have never looked back.”

In a similar vein, she never had joining the JCTT as part of her plan but has thrived on the challenge of joining with others in the fight against terrorism.

“An opportunity presented and I liked the sound of the challenge,” she said.

JCTT’s bring law enforcement and intelligence partners together to prevent and investigate domestic terrorism.

“The Tasmanian JCTT is built on strong working relationships, underpinned by cooperation, collaboration and coordination.

“It’s about building strong relationships across agencies and across jurisdictions to ensure the timely and appropriate sharing of information, resources and skills in the fight against terrorism.

“I was surrounded by an incredible team and have forged binding friendships across the country and across agencies working in the counter-terrorism environment,” she said.

After finishing with JCTT in 2017 Kate moved on to project manage Conexus, an intranet redevelopment program.

She encourages other female officers to embrace opportunities in their careers.

“Say yes to challenges, and say yes to positions that expose you to new and dynamic environments,” she said.

“As a female investigator within the JCTT I felt welcomed, respected and engaged by individuals, agencies and partners alike.

“Diversity at the table results in diversity in thought, solutions and outcomes,” she said.

Senior Sergeant Chambers said while she enjoyed her time in the JCTT it was good to be back wearing the blue uniform.