Senior Gold Coast police burnout as new communications centre faces internal review

The Gold Coast police communications centre, once trumpeted as a success by the state’s Police Minister, is under review for a serious reason.

THE Gold Coast communications centre trumpeted as a success by Police Minister Mark Ryan will be reviewed amid fears it is burning out officers and causing safety concerns.

Mr Ryan after a visit to the new District Tasking and Co-ordination Centre early last month described it as “impressive” having been told two arsonists were caught within an hour.

Police Minister Mark Ryan and Assistant Commander Brian Wilkins at DTACC. Photo: Emily Halloran.

INSIDE COPS’ $4 MILLION COMMAND CENTRE

“This is modern policing. This is the Gold Coast putting its more than 1000 police officers where they are needed, when they are needed. This is the future,” Mr Ryan later told parliament.

But the Minister is defending DTACC after the Opposition asked if every call was followed up, all complaints had been closed or some just ignored as “trivial”.

“QPS advises that in 12 months, the DTACC has helped resolve nearly four thousand cases and assisted in around five thousand other cases,” Mr Ryan (above) said this week, in his reply.

He confirmed that one district duty officer was based at the DTACC for each shift.

Police sources have described his response as “an absolute joke” and raised serious concerns about DTACC which continues to divide opinion among the rank and file.

Officers were not being sent where they were required and on some nights DTACC was staffed with only one officer, a police source said.

“There is an inspector that has been taken off line for two months to do a review of the DTACC because so many people are complaining about it and saying what a waste it is,” the source said.

DEMANDS TO SEE REVIEW INTO POLICING

Police on a job call out at Black Swan Lake. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

“The on-road DDO is getting overworked and stressed because they are covering the entire Coast each shift and going to major incidents, suicides and supervising thousands of police while they have another sitting in an office watching TV doing nothing.

“It’s a massive risk and concern for the welfare of the on road DDO.”

Other police confirm on-road DDOs are stressed, saying staff who were sick had not be replaced at DTACC and the trial with the new system must be abandoned.

“The on-road DDO has to cover from Coomera to Coolangatta. They’re always experiencing traffic snarls,” another police source said.

“It can take you hours to get there. You’ve got a senior officer back there (at DTACC) watching a TV set. It could be done by a civilian.

“In terms of DDOs, Logan has two and southside Brisbane and northside Brisbane three each. They (senior Coast management) don’t want to be seen with egg on their face by backing down on this.”

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The new Gold Coast police digital technology DTACC. Photo: Emily Halloran

Assistant Commissioner Brian Wilkins said one of the prime drivers of the DTACC was to

load share during peak periods to ensure an optimum response.

“The DTACC is technologically equipped to monitor district police resources 24-hours a day and is resourced accordingly,” he said.

“All DDOs, both on road and within the DTACC, work collaboratively and collectively to provide a high level of operational awareness and responsiveness across the district.”

Assistant Commissioner Wilkins confirmed a review, which occurs with any new strategy, was being undertaken by an inspector.

“This review will include interviewing a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, including all DDOs and divisional police of all ranks,” he said.