Katarina Carroll reveals plan to fix Queensland Police culture

Queensland’s top cop has revealed her plan to recover the reputation of the police service after shocking revelations of sexism and racism, with the promise of more specialist DV officers and a discipline overhaul part of the transformation.

The cultural expert who helped the military after a series of sexism scandals will be embedded with Commissioner Katarina Carroll as she works to recover the reputation of the Queensland Police Service following a damaging public inquiry.

The QPS will also see an overhaul of its internal disciplinary processes after it was revealed during the inquiry several high ranking officers were let off with little to no punishment following cases of horrendous behaviour.

Ms Carroll said there will be a significant increase to the number of specialist domestic violence police officers ahead of the release of a damning report into how the service responds to DV.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll, in her office at Police headquarters. Picture: Matthew Poon

Speaking ahead of Monday’s release of the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service Responses to Domestic and Family Violence report, Ms Carroll said she “takes responsibility” for the issues raised.

Both she and Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford said it was time to “draw a line in the sand” and work towards rebuilding.

The five-month inquiry heard evidence of racism, sexism and misogyny within the service, as well as a series of incidents where officers who had repeatedly bullied and sexually harassed colleagues were given little to no punishment.

Ms Carroll was also criticised for ignoring requests to properly staff the newly-formed Domestic and Family Violence Command, set up after the murder of Doreen Langham.

The report, authored by inquiry Commissioner Deborah Richards, will be released on Monday after being handed to the government a week ago.

In the wide-ranging interview, Ms Carroll said she was changing the disciplinary process to provide more support to victims, had created more specialist domestic violence positions and is rolling out more face-to-face training programs.

Ms Carroll said she would be working with PricewaterhouseCoopers chief diversity, inclusion and wellbeing officer Julie McKay, and a team of cultural experts, to address issues within the service.

PwC partner Julie McKay will work with Commissioner Katarina Carroll.

“I’m responsible, I take responsibility for these issues,” Ms Carroll said.

“But it actually personally affects you … you do get hurt. And when people do the wrong thing, it tars everyone.

“The organisation is hurting. The organisation, predominantly, is good people who are here for the right reasons.”

Ms Carroll said she worked with Ms McKay during her time as head of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.

Ms McKay also spent four years as the inaugural Gender Advisor to the Chief of the Australian Defence Force after a cadet secretly filmed himself having sex with a colleague and broadcast it over Skype to fellow cadets.

“I’ve been working with Julie over a number of months looking at our capability within the organisation to deliver major cultural reform,” Ms Carroll said.

“It really is about what we have done so far, how we’re travelling, how much more we now need to do.”

She also said:

– Specialist DV positions had increased from 66 permanent and 122 temporary to 218 permanent and 53 temporary.

– The DFV Command had been approved for 22 new positions that were in the process of being filled.

– A three-day face-to-face training domestic violence training program is being rolled out and would reach all officers by June 30.

– A five-day course for specialist officers and officers-in-charge is being delivered to 3000 people.

– Changes to the disciplinary process would ensure the “local managerial resolution” process would no longer be used inappropriately.

The inquiry heard repeated incidents of officers being given LMR – a chat with a more senior officer – for serious or repeated misconduct, including bullying and sexual harassment.

Ms Carroll admitted the process had been abused.

She said she had established a case management team within the Ethical Standards Command to look at complaints and a psychologist had been placed within the unit to consult with victims and witnesses.

“So there’s a whole team led by a superintendent who look at all of the complaints, particularly related to sexist, misogynistic, racist and homophobic or bullying complaints,” she said.

Ms Linford said the public airing of officers’ bad behaviour will “help us with a line in the sand kind of moment”.

“Because it will give us that impetus to work across our leadership team to really make sure we do stamp this out in the future,” she said.

“Discipline cases are normally kept close, so only the affected parties know about it, and the investigation teams.

“But now it’s aired and our people have seen the types of things that have gone on – so I’m hoping that creates the critical mass where they’ll say: enough.

“That’s the benefit of the Commission of Inquiry. It will give us that impetus to help us on that road.”

Ms Carroll said she had also been sickened by recordings from 2019 of watchhouse staff making racist comments, leaked to media outlets in recent days.

In the recordings, one staffer could be heard talking about “black fellas” and how they should “get ‘em and beat the f… out of them and bury them”.

“It kind of almost stabs you in the heart, to think that people can say those things and people can do those things,” Ms Carroll said.

“I just find it so hard that people can treat each other that way.

“It hurts the good people personally. But certainly it hurts the organisation.

“And the good people in the organisation are really hurting.

Ms Carroll said the service now had the challenge of trying to meet recruitment goals following the damaging evidence heard in the inquiry.

“What people need to know out there is that this is actually our reset,” she said.

“It is an incredible career.

“And in fact, from the commission of inquiry, and from what we’re doing, it will go on to be an even greater organisation.”

Ms Carroll said she believed she was the right person to lead the service, after being asked repeatedly this week if she had offered her resignation or if she believed she should resign.

“I believe definitely I am, because of my history of reform but also because of what I’ve started,” she said.

“I definitely want improvements in the way we deal with domestic violence to be my legacy.”