Opinion: Queensland needs a new police commissioner to renew service culture

Queensland’s top cop hopes to continue in the top job, but the service needs a new leader from outside the organisation who can change the culture and restore confidence from inside and out of the service, writes Terry Goldsworthy.

This week the QPS Commissioner, Katarina Carroll, stated that she hoped to continue in the top job. Such hope may be misplaced.

We have seen a DNA inquiry highlight where senior officers in the QPS with little understanding of scientific procedures allowed staff at the state forensic lab to stop testing samples in 2018, potentially robbing hundreds of victims of their right to justice. The Commissioner said she had not been told about problems with the new testing regime. Why not?

Her ability to lead has been called into question in recent times where she has shown poor judgment and decision making. Just this week another poor decision was highlighted when it was revealed that the superintendent that she appointed to head the QPS First Nations unit was under investigation for alleged racism and bullying. Carroll claimed she was not told about the investigation. Doing due diligence is the hallmark of a good leader, she should have asked.

When recordings of racist comments at the Brisbane watch-house were revealed in the past week, she sent an acting deputy commissioner from the other end of the state to front the media. A real leader doesn’t do that.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll says she hopes to continue in the top job. Picture: Liam Kidston

Next week the report of the inquiry into QPS culture towards the handling of domestic violence, misogyny and racism is to be released. Reports have emerged already of a damning assessment of Carroll’s leadership. It has been reported the Independent Commissioner described Carroll as “either wilfully ignorant, or kept in the dark by her senior officers, or was deliberately obfuscating”.

The Commissioner was critical of Carroll’s evidence to the commission. Many of the allegations aired in the inquiry occurred on Carroll’s watch.

A deputy commissioner resigned after his misogynistic comments were made public at the DV inquiry. Carroll had given him the lowest form of correction. He resigned within days of the comments becoming public, Carroll said she would have asked him to resign if he had not offered his resignation. Why did it take public scrutiny for her to act?

She promoted another officer to chief superintendent even though in evidence she said he was not suitable and then blamed the promotion system. Why did she not fix the system in the first place?

Crime is just another problem. We have seen a 7 per cent increase in the crime rate in the past 12 months.

It is disappointing that the overwhelming majority of hardworking police have been let down by deficient leadership and officers who engage in poor behaviour.

The Working for Queensland survey is used to gauge staff engagement in the QPS. Some 35 per cent of staff felt that work had a negative impact on their health. Only 46 per cent of those surveyed thought that the leadership of the QPS operated with a high level of integrity, even less (42 per cent) thought management modelled the behaviours expected of all employees. Only 35 per cent thought the organisation was well managed, 40 per cent thought leadership was of high quality. Only 36 per cent of staff surveyed thought poor performance was appropriately addressed.

These sentiments are damning of the senior leadership and Carroll herself. Carroll claims to be a reformer with impressive sounding programs such as the “Inclusion and Diversity Restorative Engagement and Cultural Reform Program”. Yet the DV inquiry has laid bare failings in aligning the culture of the QPS, including some at the highest levels, with public expectations.

Despite this, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk expressed confidence in Carroll, saying she was “the right person for the job... she has only been in the job a relatively short time.” Carroll has been Commissioner for three years.

So, how do we fix the problem? The reality is the QPS needs a new leader, preferably someone from outside the organisation who can come in and renew culture by displaying good leadership and judgment, and inspire confidence in the troops and public.

Performance needs to become a core focus of the organisation. Senior officers need to be held to account. Those who do not want to align with public expectations should have no place in the organisation.

Terry Goldsworthy is an associate professor of criminology at Bond Uni, and a former detective.