Sam Norman is a Detective Sergeant with over 24 years’ experience in community policing and a strong focus on improving police responses to domestic and family violence. His career spans forensic investigation, frontline patrol, operational policing, and serious and organised crime.
Sam led ACT Policing’s Family Violence Unit through its transition into the High‑Risk Domestic and Family Violence Investigation Unit (DFVIU). In this role, he implemented the DFVIU’s holistic investigations model that recognises domestic and family violence—particularly coercive control—as a pattern of ongoing harm rather than a series of isolated incidents. The model emphasises victim‑survivor experiences, risk escalation, and meaningful collaboration with partner agencies.
Since March 2026, Sam has led a major reform project to redesign police domestic and family violence training in the ACT. This work shifts the focus from procedural compliance to deepening police understanding of coercive control, family violence dynamics, trauma‑informed practice, and victim‑centred responses.
As a 2023 Churchill Fellow, Sam conducted international research into multi‑agency management of high‑risk recidivist offenders. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Forensic Investigation), a Bachelor of Policing (Investigations), and a Professional Certificate in Evidence‑Based Policing Leadership.