Top cop in plea for help
COMMISSIONER Katarina Carroll says she needs more police officers after an unprecedented 48 per cent jump in call-outs.
The Bulletin can reveal the state’s top cop will ask the State Government for more police following increased demand, which includes a 59 per cent rise in triple-0 calls from 2014-15 to 2018-19.
Ms Carroll said there was a “massive increase” in mental health, youth justice and domestic violence work for officers.
When she took the helm in 2019, it was “quite obvious” there were issues over an increase in demand, which led her to undertake a review of the Queensland Police Service.
As part of a major restructure, police will change the way they work, more frontline resources will be available, regions and commands will be realigned, and an ongoing district trial will measure every police action to prevent duplication from officers.
“It is, I think, very fair to say that we are struggling to keep up with demand, hence why we’re doing that piece of work,” Ms Carroll said.
“For instance, a job that comes from the public to Policelink to triple-0 … I don’t want that to be doubled or tripled up, because that means we’re less efficient on the ground.
“So at the moment, with just the pure increase in demand, without changing the way we do business, (it) is having an impact on us delivering services.”
Ms Carroll said the areas that were most affected were frontline police, detectives in criminal investigation branches, child protection units, and Policelink staff.
Ms Carroll said she would approach Police Minister Mark Ryan for more officers after major changes were made but said she could not yet commit to a number.
Mr Ryan said: “Whenever Commissioners have asked the Government for extra resources the Government has provided resources, including, for example, this year’s record police budget and funding for an extra 535 police personnel.”
Ms Carroll said domestic violence had dramatically increased, with police attending 100,000 incidents a year, and there would be efficiencies around police processes so officers could concentrate on the victim and “deal with the issues around the respondent”.
The review found phone calls, emails and digital reports to Policelink averaged 145,000 a month last year, a 32 per cent increase since January 2013.
The review also found civilian staff numbers were reduced by 500 in 2012-13, which has led to sworn officers doing administration work.
The commissioner has announced a new deputy commissioner for regional Queensland, based in Townsville, after claims crime is out of control in northern Queensland. She has also split Cairns and Townsville into two regions.
There will also be a new position of southern Queensland deputy, filled by Steve Gollschewski, and a new region including the Sunshine Coast and other neighbouring areas.