Police managing COVID cost

POLICE have reshuffled budgets and resources to minimise costs associated with a 24-7 COVID-19 response but top brass are adamant it won’t affect Gold Coast operations.

But five months in police are tight-lipped on details of budget and resourcing as the “operational environment is subject to constant changes”. Officers statewide including the bikiebusting Rapid Action Patrol squad have manned the border, airports and hotels since the pandemic response began in March.

Asked about what impact COVID-19 would have on the budget, boss Katarina Carroll recently said: “I’m extraordinarily comfortable about budgeting but also about resources into the future.”

Lockdowns and “changes in behaviour” across the state enabled savings in reduced demands for service, particularly public order policing. Sections and training were also deferred helping ease the costs.

The Bulletin recently highlighted a fraction of what it costs to patrol the border, revealing taxpayers shelled out $8565 for catered food deliveries to border staff for the first week of June and 2000 hours of overtime were clocked up.

Police have also revealed the COVID-19 response will cause “additional rostering challenges” for the financial year.

But Ms Carroll and Police Minister Mark Ryan said the Coast district would not be impacted by coronavirus. Funding for COVID-19’s response, coming from a “global budget”, is allocated separately to dayto-day district operations budgets, police confirmed.

“The QPS operates within budgetary constraints and prioritises funding accordingly to ensure service delivery,” a police spokesman said.

“Details around budget and resourcing is unable to be specifically quantified as the operational environment is subject to constant changes.

“While the full impact of COVID-19 on the QPS budget is not yet known, the Service has re-prioritised funding and redeployed resources to minimise costs.”

The spokesman said there was budget for contingencies, including disaster events.

Mr Ryan: “The Commissioner will continue to monitor all expenditure and make any submissions to government for further funds as required.”