Labor accused of misleading voters on key Coast election promise of more cops

The State Government is being accused of misleading Gold Coast voters with its election promise to employ an extra 44 cops on the Glitter Strip just days before calling an election more than a year ago

LABOR is being accused of misleading Gold Coast voters with its election promise to employ an extra 44 cops on the Glitter Strip.

Police Minister Mark Ryan has admitted Police Commissioner Ian Stewart and not Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was behind the decision to allocate the desperately needed officers.

The Premier made the announcement the city would get 44 extra cops — and the state 400 officers — on October 28, 2017. A day later she called the election.

The Gold Coast Bulletin had highlighted skyrocketing crime rates and a cutback in police budgets, but the announcement placed the Government on the front foot in a law-and-order campaign it was, until then, losing to the Opposition.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon has asked who ordered the increase in police.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon this month asked Mr Ryan what powers he had to direct Mr Stewart to allocate more police, and why he had not tabled proof that he had given the Commissioner such a direction regarding the Coast policing district.

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In his reply this week, Mr Ryan said the allocation of police resources was an operational matter determined by the Commissioner after assessing crime, safety issues and population growth in a region.

Ian Stewart, the Police Commissioner, at Police HQ, Brisbane. AAP Image/Steve Pohlner

“Any decisions about where to dispatch police officers in Queensland should be made by police, not politicians,” he said.

“Based on the advice from the Commissioner, this announcement included the proposed allocation of an additional 44 police officers, including four domestic violence co-ordinators, to the Gold Coast over four years.

Police arrive at a Gold Coast protest. Picture Glenn Hampson

“No direction was given nor is a direction required. This announcement was made following advice from the Commissioner on how additional resources could be best distributed.”

Mr Crandon said the announcement came just after parliament had risen, during which the Premier had provided some “waffle” in response to a question from himself about policing numbers.

“I asked the Premier a question without notice on the last sitting day of 2017 — three days before she called the election,” he said.

Gold Coast crime scene in the hinterland. Picture Glenn Hampson

“That related to why the police numbers had dropped from 886 in June 2016 to 846 in June 2017, a drop of 40 at that point.

“The very next day she announced 44 additional police for the Gold Coast and two days later called the election.

“Subsequent figures — from April this year — confirmed a further drop in numbers.”

Mr Crandon’s said Mr Ryan’s response suggested police had made the decision earlier to increase police numbers on the Coast, not the Premier or the Minister.

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“If that’s the case, how can it be claimed that it’s part of the election promise for 500-plus additional police over four years?

“To my mind, all of this begs the question — where are our additional 44 police. You just can’t trust this government with an election promise.

“They said (during the election campaign) that they were going to build three new railway stations (on the Coast). They didn’t bother saying it would be 2023 and 2024.”

The QPS says it is constantly review allocation of police resources and unable to give a breakdown of future allocations. Recruit programs take six months and began in July.