Police budget slashed

Gold Coast funds redirected to Logan

THE Gold Coast police budget is about to be cut with some of the money to be funnelled to nearby Logan.

Senior police, including officers-in-charge of stations and special squads, have been sent an email asking them to prepare a draft budget for 2018-19.

In the email a senior manager wrote: “As previously discussed there will be a reduction in the overall budget allocated to SER (South-East Region).

“In addition to this reduction spending will be allocated from the Gold Coast District to the Logan District, to better align budgets with actual expenditure over the previous three years.”

A police source said the cuts would affect officers who received penalty rates and those in the dog squad and water police working on weekends.

Police Minister Mark Ryan has declined to detail the amount of the cuts, why the budget had been reduced and how Logan could be getting more funding when the Glitter Strip was Queensland’s tourism hot spot and its reputation needed protecting.

In 2016 during reporting of the Grim Blue Line series, Mr Ryan told the Bulletin his door was open and the commissioner only needed to ask to get more Coast resources.

In a statement, Mr Ryan said: “The Palaszczuk Government has supported the Queensland Police Service with a budget of approximately $2.3 billion dollars this financial year. In accordance with the law and the Fitzgerald Inquiry recommendations, it is a matter for the Police Commissioner as to how that budget is allocated across Queensland.

“Decisions about the allocation of resources are made by the Police Commissioner free of interference from politicians, just as they should be.”

Opposition leader Deb Frecklington said Labor’s savage cuts were putting community safety at risk.

“We are in the midst of a massive crime wave, including youth gangs who are out of control and an increase of drugs being peddled to our kids.

“This is clearly a broken election commitment from Labor and shows their contempt for residents on the Gold Coast and in Logan,” she said.

LNP police spokesman Trevor Watts said the cuts provided more evidence of why the Premier needed to sack her embattled Police Minister.

Mr Ryan said a new police facility was being built at Arundel, Water Police had received two new jet skis and funding has been provided for four new domestic violence officers.

MARK Ryan needs to look the people of the Gold Coast in the eye and fess up.

The embattled police minister must explain why he is cutting the city’s police budget, how much he is reducing it by, and why Logan will be getting more money when the Glitter Strip is Queensland’s tourism hot spot and its reputation needs protecting.

As has become his rhetoric, Mr Ryan again threw the Police Commissioner under the bus yesterday and said it was up to the state’s top cop “as to how that budget is allocated across Queensland”.

“Decisions about the allocation of resources are made by the

Police Commissioner free of interference from politicians, just as they should be,” he deflected.

Of course, Mr Ryan forgot to mention one glaring oversight.

The Police Commissioner does not set the budget, the State Government does.

The Gold Coast is growing tired of Mr Ryan’s games. Last month he defied logic and failed to adequately explain why violent offenders had to wait at least three days for ankle bracelets to be transported from Brisbane.

As terrified women looked over their shoulders while being stalked by their thug husbands, he insisted the wife bashers were being monitored every second of the day.

The Bulletin later revealed the offenders were not being “watched” as the bracelets were being run out of the UK.

Mr Ryan’s reactionary management style and semantics must stop.

Rank-and-file officers on the

Gold Coast have suffered one Keystone Cop episode after another in recent years. As the Bulletin reports elsewhere today, the list includes:

The arrest of top cop Michelle Stenner, charged with three counts of perjury. She has pleaded not guilty and will face trial.

Fifteen police officers facing internal investigation for alleged corruption and misconduct.

A revolving-door police leadership caused by then Chief Superintendent Terry Borland taking extended leave. He subsequently quit in July.

An ice epidemic where drug arrests are down, highlighting shortcomings in proactive policing.

Mr Ryan has been a common denominator as Police Minister during that time.

This newspaper has steadfastly supported the police on the beat who risk their lives every day to keep this city safe.

The Gold Coast Bulletin has never called for fewer cops in its 133-year history – and it is not about to start now.

Mr Ryan’s failure to provide the same support to our police reeks of contempt.

We are fed up with the Minister’s default response to any contentious issue that it’s an operational matter for the Police Commissioner. Take responsibility.

As the city continues its push to become a major events capital, its residents and millions of visitors should have certainty they are safe, and that the city’s reputation as a tourism mecca remains intact.

That starts with providing the police resources a city of this standing deserves and needs, plus transparency.