1200 cops needed: Huge lag with Qld Police mega recruitment drive

Two years after the state government said it would boost police numbers by 1450 over five years just 260 new officers have joined the ranks.

Queensland must hire another 1200 police above attrition levels in just three years to meet a major State Government commitment, new figures reveal.

Two years into a five-year hiring pledge, 260 officers have joined the police service since the government said it would boost numbers by 1450 police.

A year before committing to the target – just as the Covid pandemic was beginning – the service hired 264 officers in 2019-20.

Amid the mega recruitment drive, the Queensland Police Service has opened up the application process to 17-year-olds, to start when aged 18.

The policy has come under fire during the inquiry into police responses to domestic and family violence, with experts arguing younger recruits have no life experience, stating the policy was also against recommendations of the Fitzgerald Inquiry.

New recruits at the Queensland Police Academy in Oxley. Picture: Liam Kidston

The Courier-Mail understands the police service plans to hire a significant portion of the police at the “back end” of the five-year commitment to save costs in the $625m funding.

A spokesman said there were currently 260 recruits undergoing training.

The service previously came under fire for its recruitment practices, with the Crime and Corruption Committee finding a push to recruit at least 50 per cent female police officers between 2016 and 2018 discriminated against men and let some women through who ordinarily would not have met entry requirements.

Under the recruitment drive, 150 police positions are being allocated to each police region, including 300 for the Brisbane region, a police spokesman said.

“There are no changes to the minimum standards required by any person with applicants still being required to pass the required cognitive, physical and psychological testing and meeting the vetting, integrity, medical and interview selection standards, as well as having successfully completed Year 12 Certificate (or equivalent),” the spokesman said of the current applicants.

“Seventeen-year old’s who meet the standard will be given a provisional acceptance to start when they are 18 or older, on the condition they complete Year 12 and obtain their Green P License.

“The QPS is also sponsoring ACER testing for 17-year-old applicants.”

The funding also includes money for an extra 575 police service staff.