Commander Debbie Williams

Tasmanian Police


Debbie joined Tasmania Police in 1990. She has served in all three geographical districts across the State in operational and specialist support areas.   In 2016 she was promoted to Inspector at Burnie Division; and, in 2018 became the first female appointed to Commander in an operational district.  In this role she was responsible for all policing and emergency management for approximately one third of the state.  This included, as Regional Controller, the COVID response for Western District.In early 2023, Debbie transferred to Hobart and is leading the establishment of Tasmania Police’s dedicated Family and Sexual Violence Command which includes two multi-disciplinary Arch Centres.  The Command focusses upon a foundation of prevention, intervention, and the delivery of cohesive, trauma-informed response strategies to victim survivors.   She feels privileged to have obtained this role to lead significant change across Tasmania Police and working collaboratively with government and non-government stakeholders supporting victim-survivors of family and sexual violence.Debbie has a Bachelor of Arts, a Graduate Certificate in Police Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts with Professional Honours.  She is on the University of Tasmania Executive Dean’s Honour Roll in the College of Arts, Law and Education.  In 2022 she was placed on the Governor-General’s COVID19 Honour Roll and awarded an APM for her significant contributions to the safety and wellbeing of members of Tasmania Police and the Tasmanian community throughout her career.

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