LGPOA Austin Police Association

2023 ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Neil Paterson APM

Deputy Commissioner 

Capability Portfolio 

Victoria Police 


Preferred Pronouns: He/Him


Neil was appointed to the role of Deputy Commissioner Capability in July 2020. His current responsibilities include oversight and management of

  • Capability Department
  • Media, Communications and Engagement Department (MCED)
  • People Development Command (PDC)
  • Professional Standards Command (PSC)
  • Service Delivery Transformation Command

Neil’s role is to provide a safe community for all Victorians, and strengthen ethical health

and culture with Victoria Police, through education and training. Neil is responsible for the

organisation’s work with Government ensuring policies and legislation is contemporary to

police needs so that they can deliver the best possible outcomes of the community. He also

leads a service delivery transformation program to ensure police continue to evolve to meet

the expectations of the communities they serve.

Mark Keen APM

Inspector, Capability Department


Preferred Pronouns: He/Him




Mark Keen is an Inspector in Priority & Safer Communities Division within the Capability Department.  His diverse policing background spans over 36 years and includes operational policing, prosecutions, sexual offences and child abuse investigations, as well as a variety of roles with a diversity & inclusion and human rights focus.  Mark has a long history of LGBTIQ+ advocacy and in 1995, was a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Police Employees’ Network (GALPEN).  In 2018, Mark developed the Victoria Police LGBTI Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan 2018-2021.  He is currently the Deputy Chair of the LGBTIQ+ Employee Network (VP PRIDE) and is also Victoria Police’s representative on the Victorian Public Sector Pride Network Council.

Tom O'Dwyer

Acting Senior Sergeant


Preferred Pronouns: He/They




Tom has been with Victoria Police for 11 years, having worked at a range of areas and locations, including general duties, public order, and intelligence. Tom is the current secretary of the Victoria Police LGBTIQ+ employee network ‘VP Pride’, and is an LGBTIQ+ Liaison officer. Tom’s presently seconded to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, assisting with the coordination of the 2023 World LGBTIQ+ Conference for Criminal Justice Professionals.

Amanda Bowden

Inspector - North West Metro Support Services Division


Preferred Pronouns: She/Her




Amanda joined Victoria Police in October 2007 and has worked in general duties policing in regional and metropolitan areas, as well as specialist roles in Critical Incident Response Team, and Chemical Biological Radiological/Disaster Victim Identification Unit. Amanda was promoted to sergeant in 2016 at Transit Safety Division, and promoted to Senior Sergeant in 2019 at Road Policing Command. In 2021 Amanda transferred to Footscray Police Station in Melbourne’s busy western suburbs and performed the role of Officer in Charge and Municipal Emergency Response Coordinator. She was promoted in September 2022 to her current role as North West Metro Region Training Inspector.

Amanda is a LGBTIQ Liaison Officer, a committee member for Victoria Police LGBTIQ employee network VP Pride, as well as its Rainbow Families sub-committee, and has established LGBTIQ Networks in her three most recent workplaces. In 2019, Amanda was selected to undertake a LGBTIQ Leadership Program through Leadership Victoria, leveraging the connections from this program to assist in the redevelopment of LGBTIQ Liaison Officer training for Victoria Police. 

Jo Warwick

Sergeant

Preferred Pronouns: Jo



Sgt. Jo is currently working in the Priority & Safer Community Division, as part of the LGBTIQ+ Portfolios Team. Jo' usual position is at Transit Safety Division. Jo maintains a high level of activity within the LGBTIQ+ space, both internally and externally facing, by being a committee member of the Victoria Police’s Employee Network (VP Pride), as the Transit and Public Safety Command LGBTIQ+ (LLO) Network co-ordinator, and as member of the newly formed Transgender and Gender Diverse Employee Network (TAGDEN).


Jo assist's by driving a lot of the LGBTIQ+ Days of significance events, I provide information and education for our members by holding sessions with key guest speakers. These events include IDAHOBIT, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Wear it Purple Day. I have made it my mission to light up key iconic structures around Melbourne in purple, for Wear it Purple Day, over the past 4 years! I also facilitate key training & information programs, such as the LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers (LLO) information sessions. I have also been working closely with our union, (The Police Association Victoria) looking at the new EBA and advocating for better Gender Affirmation Leave.

Clare O'Donnell

Creative Services Manager, Media Communications and Engagement Department (MCED)


Preferred Pronouns: She/Her


Clare has been working as a media and content specialist in the public service sector for the past 10 years. Having worked in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, she has worked with a variety of government departments and police jurisdictions.  Clare started with Victoria Police in 2019 as a videographer for the Media Communications and Engagement Department (MCED), and has since become the manager of the Creative Services Team in MCED. Over the last 4 years, Clare has been involved in documenting significant milestones of the relationship with Victoria Police and the LGBTIQ+ Community. Clare is passionate about covering honest stories about the past trauma, and the present capabilities and progress into future that will strengthen trust and respect between Victoria Police and the LGBTIQ+ Community. Clare has been assisting with the coordination of strategic media and communications support for the 2023 World LGBTIQ+ Conference for Criminal Justice Professionals. 

Kris Hamilton

Acting Inspector

Preferred Pronouns: He/Him





Kris currently works as unit manager, Victoria Police Monitoring and Assessment Centre where a team of sworn and public servants provide real-time intelligence and communication to the front-line and Command to help better inform policing responses.  Kris has been with Victoria Police for 17 years and is actively involved in all things LGBTIQ+ related.  Kris is passionate about promoting Victoria Police as a employer of choice for the LGBTIQ+ community and hopes to improve the organisation through increased recruitment in this space. Kris and his partner are proudly owned by their border collie Chase, and two standard dachshunds George & Theodore.   

Carlee Botefuhr 

Senior Sergeant, Capability Department

Preferred Pronouns: 





Carlee is a Senior Sergeant in the Priority and Safer Communities Division of the Capability Department. Carlee’s current position is within the LGBTIQ+ communities portfolio, working with LGBTIQ+ stakeholder groups and community members to improve organisational service delivery. Carlee co-ordinates the state -wide LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officer program and participates in the Victoria Police LGBTIQ+ employee network (VP Pride Council) in that capacity. Carlee is an LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officer herself, and has been involved in the co-ordination and management of various LGBTIQ+ community events and days of significance. 

Kris Hamilton

Acting Inspector

Preferred Pronouns: He/Him





Kris currently works as unit manager, Victoria Police Monitoring and Assessment Centre where a team of sworn and public servants provide real-time intelligence and communication to the front-line and Command to help better inform policing responses.  Kris has been with Victoria Police for 17 years and is actively involved in all things LGBTIQ+ related.  Kris is passionate about promoting Victoria Police as a employer of choice for the LGBTIQ+ community and hopes to improve the organisation through increased recruitment in this space. Kris and his partner are proudly owned by their border collie Chase, and two standard dachshunds George & Theodore.   


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