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Dr Terry Goldsworthy

Associate Professor

Level 4, Building 1a, Faculty of Society & Design, Bond University

Faculty of Society & Design

Professional biography

Dr. Terry Goldsworthy has over 28 years policing experience in Australia as a Detective Inspector. He has served in general duties, watchhouse and as a motorcycle officer before moving to the Criminal Investigation Branch in 1994. He spent eight years as a Detective Senior Sergeant on the Gold Coast in charge of the CIB at Burleigh Heads before moving to the Legal and Policy Unit at Ethical Standard Command. Dr. Goldsworthy has completed a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Laws, Advanced Diploma of Investigative Practice and a Diploma of Policing. As a result of his law studies Dr. Goldsworthy was admitted to the bar in the Queensland and Federal Courts as a barrister in 1999. Dr. Goldsworthy then completed a Master of Criminology at Bond University. He later completed his PhD focusing on the concept of evil and its relevance from a criminological and sociological viewpoint. In particular Dr. Goldsworthy looked at the link between evil and armed conflicts using the Waffen-SS as a case study. Dr. Goldsworthy has recently published his first book titled Valhalla’s Warriors, which examines the genocidal actions of the SS in Russia during World War II. He has also contributed a chapters to the tertiary textbooks, Serial Crime and Forensic Criminology, published by Academic Press. He contributed a number of articles to the Australian Police Journal.

Research interests

Dr Terry Goldsworthy has degrees in Commerce and Law, a Masters degree in Criminology and a PhD in Criminology from Bond University.

He is an Associate Professor in Criminology at Bond University in the Faculty of Society and Design.

Terry is an acknowledged expert in a number of areas of criminal justice and has provided evidence and input into numerous government inquiries over a range of topics including, gun crime, organised crime, OMCG’s, drugs and cybercrime.

Terry has a strong media profile and has conducted over 500 hundred interviews since beginning at Bond in 2013 including ABC News, Sunrise, The Today Show, the 7.30 Report, A Current Affair etc. He also regularly contributes to newsprint and social media sites including Vox Media, The Australian, The Courier Mail, Vice News and others.

Terry has published three books looking at the German Waffen-SS during World War II. He has also contributed various chapters to a number of tertiary text books. He has publishing in a number of peer reviewed and industry relevant journals.

Terry has provided expert opinion in court matters in relation to police operation procedures.

Terry is an avid contributor to The Conversation Website on current and topical issues in Criminal Justice and to date has a readership of some 1.2 million readers.

Prior to his academic appointment Terry had 28 years policing experience in Australia (Queensland Police Service) as a Detective Inspector. He has served in general duties, watchhouse and as a motorcycle officer before moving to the Criminal Investigation Branch in 1994. He spent eight years as a Detective Senior Sergeant on the Gold Coast in charge of the CIB at Burleigh Heads. In this role he was responsible for the investigative management of high volume crime and major crime in one of the busiest and most challenging policing environments in Australia. His last placement in the QPS was as an Inspector at Ethical Standards Command.

Terry teaches in the Criminology Department at Bond University has been the recipient of various teaching awards (2010 and 2017).

A keen motorcyclist, Dr. Goldsworthy is an avid commentator on public policy issues involving the Criminal Justice system.

Teaching awards

  • 2010 HSS Excellence in teaching and learning award
  • 2013 Nominated for the FSD teaching and learning award

Professional admissions

  • Member of the Qld Bar
  • Admitted as a Barrister in the Qld and Federal Courts

Qualifications

  • Criminology, Doctor of Philosophy, Bond University, Award Date: 1 Jan 2006
  • Policing, Diploma of Policing, Queensland Police Service, Award Date: 1 Jan 2003
  • Criminology, Master of Criminology, Bond University, Award Date: 1 Jan 2001
  • Policing, Advanced Diploma of Investigative Practice, Queensland Police Service, Award Date: 1 Jan 1999
  • Law, Bachelor of Laws, Bond University, Award Date: 1 Jan 1996
  • Commerce, Bachelor of Commerce, Bond University, Award Date: 1 Jan 1992

Fields of Research

  • Criminology

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