Terry Goldsworthy demands harsher sentences for violent offenders against police
At least 12 Queensland police officers are seriously assaulted every week while on the job but less than half of offenders spend time in jail for it, a top criminologist says.
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At least 12 Queensland police officers are seriously assaulted every week while on the job but less than half of offenders spend time in jail for it, sparking a prominent criminology expert to call for minimum mandatory sentences for serious offences against police.
Queensland also reported an average of 24,000 incidents annually over the past decade where police were resisted, obstructed, or hindered — 65 incidents a day.
Despite the severity of the assault offences, however, only 47 per cent of adult offenders are jailed, while youth offenders faced even lower incarceration rates.
The shocking data has been revealed by leading criminologist and Bond University Associate Professor Dr Terry Goldsworthy, shedding a light on the dangers faced by police on the frontline.
His comments come in the wake of an officer being stabbed in Roma, west of Brisbane, on Saturday.
The officer was attempting to arrest a 35-year-old man when he was stabbed with a pair of scissors, puncturing his lung.
The officer was flown to hospital in Brisbane for emergency treatment.
The detained man was charged with one count each of acts intended to prevent lawful detention, escape lawful custody and serious assault of a police officer.
He is due to appear in the Roma Magistrates Court on Monday.
The data revealed by Dr Goldsworthy also showed that jail was only a penalty in a fraction of aggravated serious assaults, those involving bodily harm, bodily fluids, or weapons.
For adult offenders, the average sentence was 11.7 months, significantly below the maximum penalty of 14 years.
Youth offenders fared even worse, with only 9 per cent receiving detention, and only two offenders receiving sentences exceeding 12 months.
Concerning sentencing data also showed of the 6500 serious assaults on police over the past decade, youth offenders made up 14 per cent.
Dr Goldsworthy said that while politicians may tout increased maximum penalties, the measures often failed to translate into effective justice.
He said minimum mandatory sentences would ensure serious consequences for offenders of all ages with the approach offering better protection for police officers.
“Our police should not be treated as punching bags,” Dr Goldsworthy said.
“Our police deserve better from our courts in terms of sentencing outcomes and they deserve better from our politicians who spruik meaningless increases to maximum penalties but are too scared of kickback from progressives to consider minimum mandatory penalties.”
Dr Goldsworthy said that without urgent legislative reform he warned more officers’ lives would be lost.
His push comes amid troubling statistics which include the deaths of eight police officers across the country since 2011, and the December 2022 fatal shootings of two officers at the Queensland town of Wieambilla.
“Most importantly, our police deserve better from their leadership to ensure that mistakes are not repeated, and officer safety is ensured,” he said.
Last month, the newly appointed interim Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior echoed Dr Goldsworthy’s concerns, claiming the profession had never been as perilous as today.
Mr Prior’s comments followed the inquest into the Wieambilla massacre, which examined the murder of the two police officers and a civilian by three offenders who were later killed by heavily armed police.
The mother of murdered constable Matthew Arnold said the inquest revealed serious operational failings that could have potentially prevented the Wieambilla tragedy.
Sue Arnold also criticised the six-year delay in the coronial process following the 2017 death of senior constable Brett Forte, who was ambushed and killed by an armed assailant.
Susie Forte, Sen Const Forte’s widow, expressed profound disappointment over the delays and also criticised the lack of timely procedural changes.
Similarly, the mother of constable Rachel McCrow, another Wieambilla victim, said the deaths of the officers were preventable and there was a growing sense of urgency for reform.
Last week, changes to the Children’s Court Act allowed victims and their families to attend court and ensure victims were automatically opted in to updates about the justice process.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has already revealed under an LNP government, juvenile offenders convicted of serious crimes in Queensland would face adult sentencing laws.
The state LNP has also selected their Capalaba candidate as Russell Field, whose son Matthew Field, daughter in-law Kate Leadbetter and unborn grandson Miles were killed when they were hit by a stolen car on Australia Day 2021.
Mr Field has said he would campaign strongly on minimum mandatory sentencing.
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