Katarina Carroll resignation: The inside story

It took less than 14 days for Queensland’s top cop to go from vowing to finish the job on youth crime to quitting her post. Here’s how it played out.

Two weeks ago, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll stared down mounting criticism around the state’s youth crime crisis and declared, “I’m in it for the long haul.”

It had been four days since the shocking murder of Redbank Plains grandmother Vyleen White in a shopping centre car park, allegedly at the hands of a 16-year-old boy who wanted to steal her car.

“No I’m not,” Ms Carroll said, when asked whether she would step down from the top job.

That was February 7.

Ms Carroll on Tuesday met with Police Minister Mark Ryan in the Qantas chairman’s lounge at Brisbane Airport to resign from her post.

“This morning, I have advised the minister that I will not seek an extension to my contract as Commissioner,” she told a media conference filled with journalists, her four deputy commissioners and special co-ordinator for police service reform Steve Gollschewski.

“Since the start of the year, I’ve had candid conversations with my husband, with my children, who have been unbelievably supportive every step of the way.

“The truth is, it has been the most rewarding and incredible journey I could have ever asked for.

“I certainly would not have predicted that a young woman living in Innot Hot Springs in Far North Queensland, from Croatian immigrants, would make her way through the ranks to be appointed as commissioner of police.”

For two weeks, Ms Carroll has been at the centre of mounting criticism around Queensland’s youth crime crisis. She has also faced pressure over the standing down of Gold Coast Senior Sergeant Arron Ottaway over claims he authorised the ramming of a stolen car, allegedly containing several youths.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll announces her resignation on Tuesday. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

Next was the news that commissioned officers across the state planned to meet over the “direction” of the leadership of the Queensland Police Service.

It was not the first time Ms Carroll had been asked if she would resign from her post. Calls for her resignation were made in 2022 amid the damning Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Responses to Domestic and Family Violence.

Days before the inquiry got under way, she’d expressed a desire to stay on past her five-year contract.

“I certainly will not be doing another five-year term,” Ms Carroll said when asked if she wanted a second term. “But I still have a lot to do.”

She would spend two gruelling days on the stand, facing questions about a culture of racism, sexism and misogyny in the service. She was criticised over the service’s handling of a raft of disciplinary proceedings against misbehaving police, including many cases where officers had received managerial guidance for serious incidents.

She also faced questions around a lack of staff for the newly formed Domestic Violence Command, where she insisted she had promised “anything you want, you can get” to the head of the unit.

Before the inquiry findings were released publicly, Ms Carroll was questioned about her fate. She said she would not stand down as Commissioner and that she was “hoping to survive” the fallout from the months-long inquiry that caused horrific damage to the reputation of the service.

Days later, on November 21, as the report from the inquiry was publicly released, Ms Carroll was asked again – this time whether she had considered resigning to then-premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“It did cross my mind but the Premier is very firm with me … that I am actually the right person to lead this reform,” she said.

Premier Steven Miles on Tuesday. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

That same day, Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski was announced as the person to lead the service through reforms, and was given the new title of special co-ordinator for police and emergency services reform.

A month later, tragedy would strike.

At a property in Wieambilla, on the Western Downs, four officers on a routine inquiry were gunned down by religious fanatics and conspiracy theorists Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train.

Two officers, Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, were killed, while constables Keely Brough and Randall Kirk escaped. Neighbour Alan Dare was killed when he arrived to investigate.

Ms Carroll would describe their deaths as one of her darkest days at the helm and the tragedy saw an outpouring of grief from the public and a renewed understanding of the complexities of police work.

But soon the focus would shift back to community unrest over the state’s youth crime crisis.

Stolen cars, burglaries and youth gangs took over the public agenda. Courts, police and the State Government were all in the frame.

Soon, the frustrations of frontline police would boil over. Senior commissioned officers were next.

There were concerns about the “leadership direction” of the service, with the organisation taking on too many roles outside of its core responsibility of protecting the community.

There was no answer to this very complex problem – only the end of a 40-year career.

Less than two hours after Ms Carroll announced her resignation, police sent out one of their daily media releases.

Another arrest. This time, a 16-year-old boy on 75 charges.