TOP COP MISSING IN ACTION
THE Gold Coast’s senior police management is in crisis with separate investigations into top officers and a climbing crime rate on the eve of the Commonwealth Games.
Police Minister Mark Ryan and Police Commissioner Ian Stewart are being targeted for failing to take action as rumours swept the Coast force this week about resignations and transfers of senior officers at Surfers Paradise.
Gold Coast Superintendent Terry Borland is on sick leave and will not return to Surfers Paradise police headquarters for at least another week.
The Bulletin yesterday asked the Queensland Police Service several questions about an investigation launched by the Ethical Standards Command into a supply contract signed off by Supt Borland.
The QPS declined to provide details of a contract about all-terrain vehicles and the cost, saying only that the “matter is under review by Ethical Standards Command”.
Police sources say an investigation has begun. “The vehicles are used for patrols on the beaches. The contract was from Mackay. In previous years the supplier was always on the Gold Coast.”
A report last month said Supt Borland and Superin- tendent Michelle Stenner were linked to a Crime and Corruption Commission complaint about a staff promotion at the Broadbeach station.
The controversy followed a dodgy data scandal where an Auditor General’s report to Parliament revealed crime statistics had been manipulated.
The Bulletin also showed senior Coast police were under pressure from the Government to provide positive news stories after the region recorded a 66 per cent increase in assaults.
The CCC has interviewed police after crime managers were sent to various stations for blowing the whistle on the dodgy data.
Police sources say the incidents have pushed the Coast to tipping point in terms of the make-up of its senior managers and transfers were likely in coming months.
Bond University criminol- ogist Dr Terry Goldsworthy warned the internal investigations were taking the focus away from solving crime.
“Having read the media reports, there’s obviously problems there,” he said.
“If those reports are correct, it’s time for the Commissioner and Minister to pull their heads out of the sand saying ‘everything is fine – nothing to be seen here’.
“Crime is increasing on the Gold Coast. It’s doing so at a rapid rate. We have Ian Stewart campaigning for an extension of his contract but we are seeing a lack of leadership.”
Mr Ryan declined to comment at length because reviews were being undertaken by the Ethical Standards Command.
“Decisions about where to deploy police officers in Queensland should only be made by police,” a spokeperson said.