Queensland Police Union Journal

North Coast Region Roundup
GRANT WILCOX
CONFERENCE 2012
At the annual QPU Conference I attended last year, Campbell Newman was riding the wave of CANDO QLD.
Back then, the Premier and his LNP
team made some very strong plans
to deliver, ‘like no other government
could if they achieved power,
revitalising frontline policing and
making our communities safe’.
Importantly, this government
promised 1,100 new police over four
years, ‘over and above attrition’. Just
to be clear, Mr Newman was elected
on 26 March 2012.
redeployed, will be a key plank of the
LNP’s Safer Streets Crime Action Plan
to restore Queensland Police as a
force and keep our streets safe.
‘The LNP will also revitalise
community policing, crack down
on graffiti, and deliver two police
helicopters.’ Mr Newman promised.
Okay, we know all the figures and the
political spin. So what’s the reality?
If this is the case, where are the
additions to station strengths across
this state, especially in those Districts
which have the greatest need, where
the workload is like quicksand? I have
seen recruits at stations but have
seen no increases in station strength.
I just want to again state the obvious
... increasing policing numbers
should increase position numbers to
be over and above attrition.
Mr Newman promised 300 recruits in
the first financial year of government,
with (at least) 100 recruits committed
to the Gold Coast and Logan areas
(due date 1 July 2013).
He said, ‘the rest of this substantial
boost in police numbers will be
‘OVER AND ABOVE ATTRITION’
Well, we got two helicopters, but they
were purchased from within the QPS
budget. What did we go without to
get these?
I’m sure we were all expecting they
would be purchased with additional
“Where are the additions to station strengths
across this state, especially in those Districts
which have the greatest need, where the
workload is like quicksand?”
Is anybody else asking where those
position numbers are? Just the nonpoliticians,
I suspect ... that’s us and
the rest of Queensland.
CONFERENCE 2013
A year on and at the time of the 2013
QPU Conference, 70% of Queensland
was still short of police on its streets,
so less than the heralded ‘state
average’ of 1 officer to 436 people.
Is it any wonder that when we arrived
at the 2013 QPU Conference, LNP
members were scarce on the ground to
answer questions which would address
the concerns of the membership?
distributed across Queensland to
revitalise frontline services’(1,000 in
total, 200 by 1 July 2013, plus 50 offdesk).
‘In addition, an LNP government will
move around 50 police each year
from behind office desks and back
onto the frontline,’ Mr Newman said.
‘This means up to an additional 200
experienced frontline police over four
years will be keeping our streets safe.
‘Our commitment for a total of
around 1,300 additional police on the
frontline, 1,100 new and around 200
funds ... oops, that’s political speak for,
‘we never said how we would pay for
them, just that you would get them’.
There’s a promise ticked off the list.
We have just undertaken a restructure
where 86 commissioned officers
accepted redundancies, and we’ve
been promised this will lead to even
more frontline police. I am assuming
these are in addition to the 1,300
additional police?
I am still uncomfortable with the
statement that these figures will be
over and above attrition.
“70% of Queensland
is still short of police
on its streets, so less
than the heralded
‘state average’ of 1
officer to 436 people.”
The tangible results from the past
year have been underwhelming. I
believe our numbers for recruits
Queensland Police Union Journal June 2013 15