Qld Police recruitment drive ‘cancelled’ according to Opposition as they claim staff numbers have gone backwards

The Queensland Police Service has confirmed that an upcoming recruitment drive has been cancelled due to lack of interest, but the state government has denied police numbers have gone backwards.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll has conceded the police service could fall short of their recruitment target as the force’s December hiring drive is scrapped.

The Palaszczuk government promised to hire an additional 1450 police officers by 2025 ahead of the last state election in 2020.

Police Minister Mark Ryan confirmed on Wednesday 401 new police recruits had been added since the last election and recruitment was well above the attrition rate.

It comes after Opposition Leader David Crisafulli claimed the government was falling short of that promise and police numbers had fallen backwards since the election.

David Crisafulli Leader of the Opposition. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

But Mr Ryan dismissed the accusation and said the way police numbers were counted in the recent budget had changed to exclude officers on leave.

“What they (the opposition) are comparing is apples with oranges,” Mr Ryan said.

“My figures are the Queensland Police Service figures, which is the actual headcount and the approved strength, and on both measures (we’re) up by hundreds.”

The 401 new recruits puts the government at about 28 per cent of the way to reaching their target, which must be accomplished within the next three years.

Ms Carroll confirmed the cancellation of December’s recruitment drive due to a lack of interest and said the 2025 target could not be “guaranteed”.

“We did cancel as a result of those challenges – you have to do that every so often, other states have cancelled a number,” Ms Carroll said.

“What we then look at is what that pipeline is coming into the next few months, and it’s the healthiest we’ve seen it in a long time.”

The Commissioner said the strength of incoming recruits was a positive sign but could not guarantee the 2025 target would be met.

“I don’t think you should guarantee everything because I don’t know what the future holds,” Ms Carroll said.

“What we do have the ability to do and with the pipeline coming through – which I’m incredibly pleased with – is to be able to adjust those numbers at the academy.

“So I am highly confident because of the pipeline.

“But certainly, we’ve all got to admit the times are challenging at the moment.”

Mr Ryan said Queensland police had been hit by the labour market shortages currently impacting several industries, but “proactive strategies” were in place to attract recruits.

“There is a challenge. It’s a tight labour market, but Queensland is well placed,” he said.

“Not only have we had proactive strategies around reducing barriers to entry for people to join the academy, but we pay our recruits – very few other states do that.”

Mr Crisafulli had earlier accused the government of failing to live up to its election promise.

Police Minister Mark Ryan, with Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll. Picture Lachie Millard

He said the LNP had conducted a “budget analysis” which showed the real number of police statewide had gone backwards.

“The government promised at the last election another 1450 police officers. We’re nearly half way – they have gone backwards by 12,” he said.

“We’ve spent the night reading and reflecting on a call for change, and in it there are some alarming statistics.”

LNP police spokesman Dale Last said he questioned how the police would find the hundreds of new officers recommended in the Commission of Inquiry into the QPS Responses to Domestic Violence released this week.

“We’re losing staff hand over fist every week – that should be ringing alarm bells,” he said. “What’s particularly concerning for me is we’re losing those middle management, we’re losing those experienced officers out of the service who are just fed up because they’re not getting the leadership that they need.

“Today we’ve been contacted by senior police who have informed us that the upcoming police recruitment program at the Oxley Academy, the next intake, has been cancelled, because of lack of numbers. And that should be ringing alarm bells right across this state.

“Mark Ryan has been the Police Minister in this state for six years. With that role comes enormous responsibility. When police attrition is outstripping recruitment then we have a real problem.”

Mr Ryan dismissed the accusations as “lies”,

Mr Crisafulli also took a swipe at Health Minister Yvette D’Ath’s decision to sack the board of the Mackay Base Hospital the same day as the release of the inquiry report.

“They have learnt nothing from (Professor) Coaldrake – absolutely nothing,” he said, referencing Professor Peter Coaldrake’s integrity inquiry released earlier this year.