Top cop: Reprehensible behaviour will be stamped out

I do not want officers in the QPS who are not prepared to live by our values of integrity, professionalism, community, and respect and fairness, writes Commissioner Katarina Carroll.

There are 17,500 members in the Queensland Police Service. Many are frontline officers who put on their uniform and serve their community with honour each and every day.

They are often confronted by dangerous incidents and they put their life on the line to save others.

At times, they deal with the most horrific things and extraordinary situations, which thankfully, many in our community will never have to experience.

As Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service I am continuously amazed and incredibly proud of the work our members do.

The vast majority of officers are extremely committed to looking after victims, holding offenders to account and continually doing their best to keep our community safe.

Unfortunately, there are members of the workforce that simply do not meet the standards expected of them.

The impact this has on the rest of the Service is immense and this was recently highlighted in the Commission of Inquiry into the QPS response to domestic and family violence.

I was absolutely appalled by the case studies revealed during public hearings, as were many members across the organisation.

Whilst some of the matters date back several years, there were recent examples of officers engaging in reprehensible workplace behaviour which must be completely stamped out.

I have held urgent meetings with senior leaders of the QPS and we are working to implement immediate oversight mechanisms to ensure discipline files relating to bullying, sexism, misogyny, racism and homophobia are being appropriately dealt with across the Service.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll in her office in Brisbane. Picture: Brad Fleet

We are bolstering our support services to officers who have been affected by inappropriate workplace behaviour and looking at ways to improve reporting options for victims.

I want to be clear though, I do not want officers in the QPS who are not prepared to live by our values of integrity, professionalism, community, and respect and fairness.

While the QPS has an extensive disciplinary system based on accountability and fairness, there remains instances where the disgraceful and unacceptable behaviour of a number of members can threaten the integrity of the entire organisation.

It is in these circumstances that tough and decisive action needs to be taken, supported by efficient systems.

The contemporary challenges our police face each and every day are unrelenting.

The Service is on a transformation journey to meet the avalanche of demand that our members are dealing with in protecting victims and holding perpetrators to account, particularly when it comes to domestic and family violence.

I commenced my role as Commissioner with a reform agenda to make widespread systematic improvements and whilst we have been significantly interrupted by COVID-19, disasters and other matters, we will continue to drive change.

We know holistic improvements need to be made across the broad domestic and family violence spectrum and that’s why we are grateful the Commission of Inquiry has given us an opportunity to draw out the complexities of domestic and family violence cases and the challenges police face.

While reform has commenced, the Commission of Inquiry has brought these matters to the fore and there is opportunity to not only reform but to transform, and the recommendations will assist us in implementing change expeditiously, to better support our frontline police in their day-to-day job and improve our service to the community.