Premier David Crisafulli announces $150m investment for Qld police officers

Premier David Crisafulli has announced a major $150m investment for Qld police officers on the eve of the budget.

Sergeant Pieter Conradie at Bob Atkinson Operational Capabilities Centre, Wacol. 23 June 2025. Picture: Tara Croser.

Police officers will be armed with up-to-date equipment including long range tasers, protective vests and updated roadside breath test devices in a major investment by the state government on the eve of the budget.

The $150m cash splash will upgrade police resources that were either set to reach their end-of-life or needed to be expanded to additional frontline officers.

Premier David Crisafulli said the investment would ensure police have the resources to combat the state’s youth crime crisis.

“This money wasn’t budgeted, it will be now, and it will be into the forwards, and it will be there to make sure that when police go out to do their job, they know that they have the equipment to do their job,” Mr Crisafulli said.

Premier David Crisafulli, Acting Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy, Treasurer David Janetzki and Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie. Picture: Tara Croser.

It comes after The Courier-Mail in January revealed as many as 350 female officers of smaller stature had been working for more than a year without new integrated load-bearing vests, designed to give greater protection against edged weapons and firearms.

An issue where armour plates were too big to fit in the smaller sized vests caused major delays, however Acting Commissioner Shane Chelepy confirmed the $29.9m rollout of new load-bearing vests included ones custom designed for petite females.

“They’re now designed and have been custom fit, and those vests that were measured and custom built for those officers have now been rolled out, and … now that we have that process, we will continue to replace those,” Mr Chelepy said.

The state government also announced $47m towards an additional 5000 tasers, which can be fired at a distance of more than 14m and can release multiple rounds without the need for reloading.

It builds on the $8m previously allocated for 1000 tasers by the former Labor Government to improve officer safety while reducing the need to use firearms by force.

Queensland’s police force have been promised improved weapons and protection.

New body-worn cameras, tactical first aid kits with torniquetes, portable handheld radios, body worn cameras with in-built radio communication and roadside breath test devices that had expired are also included in the investment.

“The former government, whether it was allowing police to use expired devices like the roadside breath testing devices, or nearly obsolete tasers, we are going to provide our police with state of the art technology to help keep themselves and our community safe,” Police Minister Dan Purdie said.

Mr Crisafulli also revealed the budget would include $50m over five years towards four Crime Prevention Schools as promised prior to the election.

They will be based on the Gold Coast, Townsville, Rockhampton and Ipswich.

Originally published as Premier David Crisafulli announces $150m investment for Qld police officers