Palaszczuk Government to deliver an extra 2,025 police personnel

The Palaszczuk Government will provide an additional 2,025 police personnel over five years and will deliver 25 mobile police beats.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said this was an historic investment in community safety and the biggest increase in police resourcing in almost 30 years.

“The Queensland Police is world-class and it has been doing a remarkable job keeping Queenslanders safe during the COVID-19 health pandemic,” the Premier said.

“It is because of the efforts of Queenslanders and management of the response from agencies like the Queensland Police Service that Queensland is in a position to recover more quickly than other states.

“This means we can focus on our economic recovery and support more jobs, sooner.

“To continue to support the efforts of the QPS to keep Queenslanders safe now and well into the future, we are committed to providing the QPS with additional police personnel.

“This is a $624 million investment over five years for 2,025 new police personnel. Of those 1,450 will be deployed to the frontline which means at least 150 positions will be located per key region across the state.

“We’re also investing in the future of policing with 25 mobile police vans that will take police into the heart of the community so that people see more police, more often.

“From these mobile police vans officers will be able to take crime reports, victims’ statements, conduct field interviews and above all boost safety with a more visible police presence.”

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the investment will make an enormous difference.

“It will enable me, as the Commissioner, to substantially meet the challenges of the future.

“There are already heavy demands on our police, more so as we keep Queenslanders safe during the global health pandemic.

“I am proud of each and every one of them for going above and beyond.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan said more police on the frontline and the mobile police beats meant that local police are more mobile, more visible, and seen more often on active patrols in their community.

“Unlike the commitments made by the Newman Government and the current LNP State Opposition, the additional police personnel and the associated resources to support these positions are fully funded by the Palaszczuk Government,” Minister Ryan said.

“This massive boost to police resources will support the vision of the QPS Commissioner for the QPS to become an even more responsive, agile and effective policing service.

 “Disruption and prevention are the future of policing.

“What we also know is that it will be a bleak future if the LNP is ever elected.  They already have $23 billion in unfunded election commitments.  That means they need to cut, sack and sell – just like they did when they were last in office.

“The people of Queensland will never forget that it was the LNP that underfunded the QPS which led to police being sacked, and not enough funding for basic equipment like police cars and body-worn cameras.

“In stark contrast, the Palaszczuk Government has always invested in the resources that police need to do their job.

“And now we’re taking that investment to another level..

 “In addition, we have consulted with key stakeholders including the Queensland Police Union about this commitment.

“They tell us that this is what their members need to keep Queensland safe.

“This is in stark contrast to the LNP who don’t consult and announce unfunded commitments behind the backs of stakeholders.

“We are a government of consultation and consensus – we will always engage with our key stakeholders to get the best possible outcome for Queenslanders.”

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the Palaszczuk Government’s announcement was exactly what the QPU has been asking for in terms of commitments from politicians.

“Today is a great day for police and for the community and one that the Queensland Police Union have campaigned hard to achieve. I have never in my 31 years as a police officer ever seen a commitment of increasing the QPS by such a huge amount of more than 2,000 staff and I thank the government for this commitment.

“The biggest thing I have always said is that policing commitments must be fully funded. Police have been badly burnt by previous sneaky governments who made commitments and didn’t fund them properly so I acknowledge the government who are the only ones who have properly funded and costed their commitment today.”

“1,450 new additional police and another 600 civilians to work in roles such as watch houses, communications centres and prosecutions means we can speed up the delivery of frontline services by supporting those police with badly needed assistance as well. The reality is this government listens to the QPU and has worked with us to deliver quality outcomes for the safety of the entire of Queensland.

“With my personal mission and passion for assisting police who are injured in the line of duty particular the psychological welfare of police with PTSD, I am also most excited about the commitment today of an extra 10 injury management consultants for the QPS. This doubling of these injury management officers will mean police will get more assistance in a more timely manner when they need it most so I thank the government for assisting police and their families.”

Our Commitment – more police personnel for Queensland

Commencing 1 July 2020, the Palaszczuk Government will provide an additional 2,025 police personnel over five years to the QPS.

The additional 2,025 police personnel are to be deployed as follows:

• employing 1,450 sworn police officers to be deployed to the frontline
• employing 300 staff members for communications centres, prosecutions and watch houses;
• employing 125 police liaison officers (PLOs) and school-based police support officers (SPSOs) to  work in priority areas; and
• employing 100 frontline support personnel to support and enhance the work of the QPS, which includes establishing the QPS Wellbeing Centre with an additional ten Injury Management Consultants

Of the 1,450 sworn police officers to be deployed to the frontline, at least 150 positions will be located to each of:

• the new Far Northern Police Region which includes Cairns;

• the Northern Police Region which includes Townsville and Mount Isa;
• the Central Police Region which includes Gladstone, Mackay and Rockhampton;
• the new North Coast Police Region which includes Maryborough/Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, and Moreton Bay;
• the North Brisbane Police District;
• the South Brisbane Police District;
• the South Eastern Police Region which includes Logan and the Gold Coast; and
• the Southern Police Region which includes Ipswich and Toowoomba
• In addition, at least 50 positions will be allocated to Child Protection Investigation Units.

ENDS

Media contact:

Zoe Russell (Premier’s office) – 0439 982 347

Phil Willmington (Minister Ryan’s office) – 0411 535 180