QUEENSLAND IS A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE
Published Friday, 30 January, 2009 at 04:39 PM
Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport
The Honourable Judy Spence
Police Minister Judy Spence today welcomed a national report that showed that Queensland continues to be one of the safest states in Australia to live and raise a family.
Ms Spence said the Report on Government Services (ROGS) 2009 highlighted the excellent performance of police in Queensland in the key areas of public satisfaction, common neighbourhood concerns and feelings of public safety.
“Queenslanders has performed better than the Australian average in categories that show that Queenslanders feel safer at home, out jogging or walking and on transport both during the day and night. This is an excellent result in six key categories,” Ms Spence said.
“The number of people who feel safe walking or jogging after dark has climbed by more than 13% since 2005/06.
Queensland saw the largest downward trend in the country in motor vehicle theft and armed robbery from 2003 to 2007.”
Ms Spence said: “The 2007/2008 Queensland Police Service Annual Statistical Review continued a 7 year trend in which the overall crime rate has declined by 24%. The ROGS report supports this trend by showing Queenslanders generally feel safer than their national counterparts, and are less likely to fear crime in their neighbourhood.
Ms Spence said the 2009 report shows:
• 36.5% of Queenslanders considered motor vehicle theft a problem in their neighbourhood, which is a 2.1% improvement from 2006/07. (National result 46.5%)
• 53.2% considered illegal drugs to be a problem in their neighbourhood, a 0.5% decrease from 2006/07 (National result 59.2%)
• 52.5% were concerned with housebreaking in their neighbourhood, a 2.8% improvement from 2006/07 (National result 57.9%)
• 37.8% considered physical assault to be a problem in their neighbourhood (National result 42.8%) a 1.2% decrease from 2006/07
• 94.5% of Queenslanders feel safe alone at home during the day (National result 93%) and 85.4% at night (National result 83.1%)
This independent report shows Queenslanders are happy with the performance of police in this state, Ms Spence said.
“The percentage of Queenslander’s who were satisfied or very satisfied with their police service is 3.2% higher than the national average,”
“Around 80% of Queenslanders believe the Queensland Police Service is honest and professional.
“While showing a slight increase in the rate of complaints, the report advises that this is due to a change in the way complaints are recorded.”
Ms Spence said “When the previous definition is applied, a three-year downward trend in the number of complaints is revealed.”
Overall we are one of only two states where public satisfaction with police has grown in the past twelve months.
“The people of Queensland are getting the police they want – police they trust, they respect and who make them feel safer and more secure,” Ms Spence said.
Ms Spence said that Queensland had also significantly increased its spending on police services per head by $11 to $329.
“We increased spending per person by more than twice the national average,” Ms Spence said.
The ROGS report does not include capital expenditure when calculating the amount spent per head.
“Queensland accounts for almost 35% of all capital expenditure for policing in Australia. Last year we spent $163.4 million compared to the national average of $58.6 million.
“By building the capital infrastructure for Tomorrow’s Queensland today we are securing Queensland’s law and order future,” Ms Spence said.
Preventing road deaths continues to be a focus for the Queensland Government, with the report highlighting Queensland as having the second highest road toll in Australia in 2007/08.
In November 2008 our Government announced a range of initiatives to prevent death on our roads, including 106 extra police, additional motorcycles and speed detection equipment including more fixed speed cameras” Ms Spence said.
“But ultimately it is every Queensland road user’s responsibility to drive safely”
Ms Spence said that according to ROGS the percentage of police in operational roles rose from 79.4% in 2007 to 82.1% last year.
“Although lower than the national average of 83.9%, it should be recognised that jurisdictions can assess operational police differently.” Ms Spence said.
“In reality, the Queensland Police Service said publicly in December 2008 that as at December 1, 2008 there were 9,886 Queensland Police Service officers and of those, around 9,000 were considered by the Queensland Police Service to be operational police.”
The small number of police who were not operational were performing vital management, support and training roles such as training police at the academy, gaining prosecutions of offenders in court as police prosecutors, managing police on the beat and investigating crime, to ensure the QPS provides a professional, effective service to the people of Queensland.
Ms Spence said the report highlighted the diversity of police in Queensland.
“We have the second highest proportion of Indigenous staff at 2.4%, which closely reflects the percentage of Indigenous people aged 20-64 years living in Queensland, and the highest percentage of female staff at 35%.
“The percentage of female staff has increased steadily over the past five years, indicative of the fact that our police reflect the diversity of the community they serve,” Ms Spence said.
Ms Spence said the Report on Government Services 2009 was a ‘great score card’ for Queensland police.
Media Contact: 3239 6172
Ms Spence said the Report on Government Services (ROGS) 2009 highlighted the excellent performance of police in Queensland in the key areas of public satisfaction, common neighbourhood concerns and feelings of public safety.
“Queenslanders has performed better than the Australian average in categories that show that Queenslanders feel safer at home, out jogging or walking and on transport both during the day and night. This is an excellent result in six key categories,” Ms Spence said.
“The number of people who feel safe walking or jogging after dark has climbed by more than 13% since 2005/06.
Queensland saw the largest downward trend in the country in motor vehicle theft and armed robbery from 2003 to 2007.”
Ms Spence said: “The 2007/2008 Queensland Police Service Annual Statistical Review continued a 7 year trend in which the overall crime rate has declined by 24%. The ROGS report supports this trend by showing Queenslanders generally feel safer than their national counterparts, and are less likely to fear crime in their neighbourhood.
Ms Spence said the 2009 report shows:
• 36.5% of Queenslanders considered motor vehicle theft a problem in their neighbourhood, which is a 2.1% improvement from 2006/07. (National result 46.5%)
• 53.2% considered illegal drugs to be a problem in their neighbourhood, a 0.5% decrease from 2006/07 (National result 59.2%)
• 52.5% were concerned with housebreaking in their neighbourhood, a 2.8% improvement from 2006/07 (National result 57.9%)
• 37.8% considered physical assault to be a problem in their neighbourhood (National result 42.8%) a 1.2% decrease from 2006/07
• 94.5% of Queenslanders feel safe alone at home during the day (National result 93%) and 85.4% at night (National result 83.1%)
This independent report shows Queenslanders are happy with the performance of police in this state, Ms Spence said.
“The percentage of Queenslander’s who were satisfied or very satisfied with their police service is 3.2% higher than the national average,”
“Around 80% of Queenslanders believe the Queensland Police Service is honest and professional.
“While showing a slight increase in the rate of complaints, the report advises that this is due to a change in the way complaints are recorded.”
Ms Spence said “When the previous definition is applied, a three-year downward trend in the number of complaints is revealed.”
Overall we are one of only two states where public satisfaction with police has grown in the past twelve months.
“The people of Queensland are getting the police they want – police they trust, they respect and who make them feel safer and more secure,” Ms Spence said.
Ms Spence said that Queensland had also significantly increased its spending on police services per head by $11 to $329.
“We increased spending per person by more than twice the national average,” Ms Spence said.
The ROGS report does not include capital expenditure when calculating the amount spent per head.
“Queensland accounts for almost 35% of all capital expenditure for policing in Australia. Last year we spent $163.4 million compared to the national average of $58.6 million.
“By building the capital infrastructure for Tomorrow’s Queensland today we are securing Queensland’s law and order future,” Ms Spence said.
Preventing road deaths continues to be a focus for the Queensland Government, with the report highlighting Queensland as having the second highest road toll in Australia in 2007/08.
In November 2008 our Government announced a range of initiatives to prevent death on our roads, including 106 extra police, additional motorcycles and speed detection equipment including more fixed speed cameras” Ms Spence said.
“But ultimately it is every Queensland road user’s responsibility to drive safely”
Ms Spence said that according to ROGS the percentage of police in operational roles rose from 79.4% in 2007 to 82.1% last year.
“Although lower than the national average of 83.9%, it should be recognised that jurisdictions can assess operational police differently.” Ms Spence said.
“In reality, the Queensland Police Service said publicly in December 2008 that as at December 1, 2008 there were 9,886 Queensland Police Service officers and of those, around 9,000 were considered by the Queensland Police Service to be operational police.”
The small number of police who were not operational were performing vital management, support and training roles such as training police at the academy, gaining prosecutions of offenders in court as police prosecutors, managing police on the beat and investigating crime, to ensure the QPS provides a professional, effective service to the people of Queensland.
Ms Spence said the report highlighted the diversity of police in Queensland.
“We have the second highest proportion of Indigenous staff at 2.4%, which closely reflects the percentage of Indigenous people aged 20-64 years living in Queensland, and the highest percentage of female staff at 35%.
“The percentage of female staff has increased steadily over the past five years, indicative of the fact that our police reflect the diversity of the community they serve,” Ms Spence said.
Ms Spence said the Report on Government Services 2009 was a ‘great score card’ for Queensland police.
Media Contact: 3239 6172