Gold Coast policing: Chief Supt Peter Miles denies staffing ‘crisis’

One of Queensland’s veteran officers has admitted a 40-year policing career is ‘no longer attractive to young people’ but denied Glitter Strip staffing ‘crisis’ claims.

The Gold Coast’s top cop has denied there is a police staffing ‘crisis’ on the Glitter Strip. Picture: File

The Gold Coast’s top cop has denied a police staffing “crisis” on the Glitter Strip after officer claims the frontline was “on the bones of our arse”.

Chief Superintendent Peter Miles was speaking at Mudgeeraba police station where he welcomed 11 new police recruits to the Coast.

Supt Miles admitted there was a shortage of police statewide but said a weekend report that two stations could not put a patrol car on the road earlier this month because of a dearth of officers was incorrect.

“It is busy - that’s undeniable,” he said.

“It is certainly busier over the last 18 months to two years - I can’t deny that - but are we at a crisis point? No.”

Chief Superintendent Peter Miles welcoming 11 new police recruits to the Golf Coast.

Supt Miles said there were police vacancies on the Coast and the loss of experienced officers was “absolutely” a concern.

“You just can’t pick an experienced police officer off a tree,” he said.

“It takes time to develop. You’re always going to have that issue, it’s a generational problem. People are not looking for careers (in one job) per se.

“The idea of a 40-year career isn’t always something that is attractive to younger people.”

Supt Miles said the new recruits, who were being deployed to stations across the Coast, would make a “big difference” to local policing and more expected later in the year.

“We’ll always take more - we’d like to have a heap more - but it is what is,” he said.

“We’ve got shortages around the state which are being addressed through recruiting and I’m pretty confident that we’ll have that right sooner than later.”

The new recruits included 19-year-old Kaitlyn Panoho, daughter of Sunshine Coast highway patrol boss Senior-Sergeant Shane Panoho.

Sunshine Coast senior sergeant Shane Panoho’s daughter Kaitlyn has joined the service.

Const Panoho said she had no second thoughts about following in her father’s footsteps despite the state’s crime crisis.

“If anything, it’s kind of fuelled that desire to help out more,” she said.

“Obviously there’s a need for us, and being able to fill that and really help the community is my passion.”