Blue line gets thinner

Fee relief available to tackle cop number crisis

THE state government has been accused of walking away from an election promise to deliver thousands more police for Queensland as the service struggles to recruit new officers.

It comes as the Queensland Police Service (QPS) announced it would waive some test fees for new recruits across the next six months, totalling to about $1 million, in an attempt to get more cops on the beat.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said police were “doing everything” it could to hit the government’s promise of 2025 new police personnel by 2025, but admitted the service wasn’t immune to a “tight labour market”.

Opposition spokesman for Police Dale Last accused the government of “walking away” from the election promise, saying it was “unforgivable”.

“Queenslanders will not cop this broken promise in the middle of the Palaszczuk Government’s youth crime wave,” Mr Last said.

In September, 2020, the Palaszczuk Government announced the additional 2025 personnel, which included 1450 frontline officers, 300 communications and prosecutions staff and 124 liaisons.

At the time, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was a historic investment in community safety and the biggest increase in police resourcing in almost 30 years.

On Monday, Mr Ryan and Commissioner Katarina Carroll announced the $215 QPS Entry Assessment and the $20 Physical Fitness test will be free for the next six months for all prospective recruit-hopefuls

“We want to encourage every single person who is considering a career in policing to come forward and realise their potential,” Commissioner Carroll said.

When asked if the election promise was slipping behind schedule, Mr Ryan said they were dealing with a “tight labour market”.

“It depends on attrition and things. So we certainly met our targets in year one and two, year three is still halfway through,” Mr Ryan said.

“It’s all industries and sectors which are struggling with recruitment at the moment. But we’re certainly doing everything we can to have our front foot forward.”

Mr Last said the “refusal to guarantee” the promise would come through was not good enough.

“One of the key jobs of a good government is keeping its people safe and on that front the Palaszczuk Government is failing badly,” Mr Last said.

Pre-employment medical screening and assessment costs will remain applicable for all recruits.

The Queensland Police Service will also be holding two open days at both the Oxley (Brisbane) and Townsville academies, where about 1500 have already expressed their interest.