Cops ‘do DOWN COMES THE WALL BUT POLICE STILL UNDER PUMP 18-hour shifts’
MORE than 100 police are on sick leave, forcing exhausted seniors on the road for 18 hour shifts - with untrained or civilian staffers in key roles sparking work safety concerns.
Police sources say the Gold Coast is being given “ridiculous” Covid contact directives like not staying in a car or office for more than four hours with suspects or witnesses for fear they might need to isolate later.
But the Queensland Police Service strongly rejects there has been a directive and argues there are no major staffing issues, as 100 officers return to the beat from border duties.
A Bulletin special investigation revealing that border, hotel and airport duties were decimating the ranks led the Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, on Thursday to announce the lifting of barricades earlier – from 1am on Saturday.
The Premier says officers can “continue normal operational duties on the frontline as they are needed as we face this Omicron wave”.
But the Bulletin can reveal numbers of officers on sick leave has almost doubled in more than a week, increasing from 59 to more than 100 on Friday leading to “fragmented command orders”.
“Cops are being told not to be in a police car more than four hours with someone else or they’ll be a close contact. They are to get out as much as they can to reset the clock,” a source said.
An experienced emergency services source said: “The big problem is keeping people at work. A domestic violence case can take a whole shift. You have to take statements from the victim and witnesses.
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“Do you put a definitive time on the interview. Do you take a Covid break.”
QPS sources say staffing levels at some Coast stations are “very low and a safety risk” and civilians continue to fill roles at hot spots like the Southport Watch-house.
“The levels at Southport Watchhouse are so low again they need to pay officers from other stations overtime just so it has staff. This is a risk as they do not have any orientation and are not trained in watch-house procedures,” a source said.
A QPS spokeswoman said while staffing figures “will fluctuate from time to time, the QPS has sufficient staff and resources”.
“As of 1am Saturday approximately 100 officers will return to core business duties in the Gold Coast District, following the culmination of QPS border operations.”
The spokeswoman said the district had the “discretion and flexibility to move resources around as needed” and advised the Southport watch house remained operational.
Senior officers working on the road and attending major incidents also face burnout.
“They don’t have any staff so they are paying them nine hours overtime after already working nine hours. This is a massive risk as they are driving around for 18 hours straight, are fatigued and can’t make critical operational decisions when they attend a serious incident,” a source said.
“Management are aware of serious breaches of fatigue however turn a blind eye.”
A QPS spokeswoman said: “As it is with most other workplaces across the globe, working ‘ overtime’ is a routine part of policing when required.”
After the Premier’s border announcement, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll welcomed the change, thanking officers for working so hard since March 2020 on check points.
“This change from 1am Saturday will enable us to reprioritise, get back to business-as-usual and make sure we now prepare for the peak over the coming weeks.”
Border policing has involved 3.3 million online border pass declarations and 3.68 million vehicles checked.