Police management ignored Coast staffing crisis 12 months ago sparking revolt from officers

Exactly 12 months ago the busiest police station in Southport was operating at half strength at night, without enough crews putting officers in danger. SEE HOW THE COP CRISIS EXPLODED.

Exactly 12 months ago the Gold Coast’s busiest police station in the heart of the Southport was operating at half strength at night, without enough crews and putting officers in danger.

These are the City’s mean streets attracting drug users, the homeless, the surrounding suburbs renowned for domestic violence call-outs.

The Bulletin through material provided by whistleblowers detailed how the CBD had become, as an officer remarked, the “runt of the Gold Coast”.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek aware of the rostering, said there were 47 active officers for a station that was supposed to have around 90 to 100 allocated officers but realistically needs more like 120 to 150.

This was the first in three trigger points on the Coast, along with a growing youth crime crisis in South East Queensland, which contributed to Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll resigning on Tuesday.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll is facing a revolt from exhausted officers over Queensland's crime crisis as officers like Senior Sergeant Arron Ottaway are stood down over a police pursuit.

An internal Queensland Police Service report warned the Southport central policing district could not keep pace with population growth and increasing demand for call-outs.

The 32-page review found:

● Southport, Runaway Bay and Nerang could not meet service demands;

● The new Pimpama station, given its resources, could face short-term challenges;

● Palm Beach and Robina were included in key suburbs facing the biggest population increases, and were either under-resourced or would be when future growth occurs.

One whistleblower estimated Southport in the past six months had been “operating at less than 50 per cent of its workforce” when staff were on sick leave or other special duties.

“This means at times the station is struggling to put out a single road crew to attend to calls for service (CFS). Night shifts often find a single officer in the station with a supervisor and one crew attending to CFS,” the whistleblower said.

Katarina Carroll announces she is standing down as Commissioner, Police Headquarters, Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

Some of the extra 2025 police employed by the state government in the next two years should go to Southport Watchhouse, the report added.

These recommendations were ignored by the city’s top police brass.

In September, residents seeking urgent police help were waiting up to four hours. A 23-year-old woman seeking a domestic violence protection order about 4pm was told she could leave and return at 7pm, despite being concerned for her safety.

Southport Police Station. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Richard Gosling.

Then a month later the Bulletin turned up at three police beats, including one at the state’s largest shopping centre.

They had been secretly shut down.

QPS later confirmed the police beat shopfronts at Broadbeach, Southport, Robina were now being serviced as part of the roster from the responsible police stations.

The shopfronts at Robina Town Centre and Pacific Fair were still listed as open on its website – they had been secretly closed more than 15 months earlier.

Police sources said it was an “unpopular decision” within the force, which was protested by local officers. But they were told funding needed to be ­“prioritised elsewhere”.

Earlier this month, Commissioner Carroll was urged to intervene and reinstate a respected Coast officer who was stood down.

The final punch to police morale occurred this month when Senior Sergeant Arron Ottaway was stood down after a claim he helped catch armed offenders by authorising officers to ram a stolen car on the Coast on February 1.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek talking to retailers at Southport Park Shopping Centre after youth vandals struck, smashing windows.

The suspension of the 32-year career cop outraged the police union, former top cop Jim Keogh was outspoken about it and rank-and-file Coast officers launched a “#FreeOtters” campaign to get him back on the beat.

This sparked a revolt from the rank and file, with officers leaking information to the Bulletin about the staffing crisis. It became a national media story and untenable situation for Ms Carroll. It has also placed pressure on senior management here on the Coast.

Another two Gold Coast police officers are also facing disciplinary action after catching armed juvenile offenders in a stolen car.

Sergeant Todd Miller and Senior Constable Aaron Minns were involved in a pursuit with the Skoda SUV near Pimpama in September 2022, internal police documents showed.

Posts circulated by Gold Coast police overnight. Source: QPS Whistleblower

Colleagues of the other officers – Sergeant Miller and Constable Minns – claim they are being “punished” for butting heads with a higher-ranking officer.

Senior police were furious after it was then leaked to the Bulletin that Assistant Commissioner Keven Guteridge was meeting with managers on Monday at the Pimpama station.

Later addressing the media, he denied he was here for crisis talks and it was great to “catch-up” to discuss ideas.

His image later appeared on a meme showing the city was burning with the caption “everything is great”.

On Tuesday morning, before Ms Carroll announced she was quitting, Mr Molhoek was with Southport retailers fixing damage to their shopfronts overnight. Police were yet to arrive.