More Queenslanders reporting crime online as Policelink turns five

Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller said more Queenslanders than ever are now reporting non-urgent matters to police online.

Minister Miller said it’s been five years since the previous Labor Government set up Policelink to free up frontline officers and to give Queenslanders a more convenient way to report issues to police – and it continues to go from strength to strength.

“In its first year, the Policelink call centre at Zillmere took 33,917 calls from the public on its 131 444 number. Since then, they’ve answered more than 2.8 million calls from Queenslanders,” Minister Miller said.

“Online contact now represents around 11 per cent of all public interactions with Policelink. In one year alone, the percentage of Queenslanders reporting matters online has jumped by 66 per cent.

“That means no more waiting on the phone or having to drop down to the police station if you’ve got a non-urgent matter to report.”

Minister Miller said there were a range of matters Queenslanders can now report to police online.

“Minor thefts, traffic crashes and incidents such as petrol drive offs can be reported to police straight from the Policelink mobile app,” Minister Miller said.

“There’s even a function for farmers to instantly report trespassers or property damage – including the ability to attach photos to the report straight from your phone.”

Policelink is also the only contact centre across Australia and New Zealand with dedicated 24/7 social media monitoring.

“During the East Coast Low, 74 social media posts to the QPS were actioned for immediate assistance. Although we’re monitoring social media, you should never, ever report a serious or life-threatening situation through Facebook or twitter.”

Minister Miller said the Palaszczuk Government was committed to supporting frontline officers.

“I want to congratulate the team at Policelink and thank them for their dedication and commitment to innovation,” Minister Miller said.

“Because of their outstanding work, we’ve been able to free up our frontline officers to spend more time out on the beat doing what they do best – keeping Queenslanders safe.”

[ENDS] 21 May 2015

Media contact: Brent Davidson (Minister Miller's Office) 0438 696 185