Gold Coast short-changed 88 police as official figures reveal thinning blue line
THE Gold Coast Bulletin has been prosecuting the case for more police. What is the real count for police in the district?
Crime and Court
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ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk and Police Minister Mark Ryan have been “caught out on a big lie” with cutbacks, broken promises and revelations the Gold Coast has been short-changed 88 cops, says the Opposition.
With an election looming a year ago, when the Bulletin was running its Grim Blue Line series on police numbers, the Premier promised the Gold Coast would get 44 additional officers.
But official policing figures tell a different story.
The Gold Coast district police allocation in June 2016 was 886. That figure dropped to 846 in June last year and dipped again to 841 just six months ago.
On Thursday, the Premier told Parliament during Question Time the number was now 842.
“They have been caught out on a big lie,” Mudgeeraba MP and LNP frontbencher Ros Bates said yesterday.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor are soft on crime and are treating the Gold Coast residents like fools.”
LNP leader Deb Frecklington, who during the same Question Time held up the Bulletin’s front page with its “Cop Out” report revealing Coast police funds were being funnelled into the Logan district, believes the budget process has become a farce.
“The number of Gold Coast police in 2016 was 886. We have the Premier saying it’s now 842. The Minister says 841 but there could be up to 856 – it’s in his media release just hours after telling Parliament it’s over 1000. What a complete debacle,” she said yesterday.
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A spokesperson for the Premier told the Bulletin: “As the Police Commissioner said yesterday, there are more police on the Gold Coast than ever before.
“Taking officers deployed to specialist taskforces and squads into account, more than 1000 police officers are working on the Gold Coast.
“These are operational decisions. The Commissioner directs resources where they are needed.”
But Ms Bates said it was “no wonder we are in the midst of a crime wave” when the Government had cut the police budgets and reduced frontline police officers.
“This is putting the safety of Gold Coast residents at risk,’’ she said.
“The embattled Police Minister Mark Ryan needs to come down to the Coast and come clean on these cuts, or Annastacia Palaszczuk should sack him.
“He’s clearly not up to the job and is putting the safety of Gold Coast residents at risk.’’
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