Steve Gollschewski named new Qld police commissioner, replacing Katarina Carroll
Queensland’s new top cop says a key focus for police is to “keep our communities safer, and make sure that they feel safe”.
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Steve Gollschewski has been officially endorsed as Queensland’s police commissioner.
Premier Steven Miles on Monday confirmed his cabinet had endorsed Mr Gollschewski’s appointment.
He had been serving as the Acting Commissioner since the departure of predecessor Katarina Carroll and had been tipped as the frontrunner for the job.
Mr Gollschewski, in his first comments in the top job, said that police reforms to better protect victims of domestic violence was an “absolutely critical” priority.
He also said the focus for police more broadly, among many priorities, was to “keep our communities safer, and make sure that they feel safe”.
In an email sent out to staff today, Mr Gollschewski said he was optimistic about the future.
“I am privileged to have the opportunity to lead the organisation,” he said.
“I know that one person will not make the Queensland community safe or make the improvements the QPS needs, this will take all of us working together, supporting each other to get the job done.”
Mr Gollschewski said he had already started shifting the overall focus of the organisation.
He said the service needed to have its systems and processes streamlined.
Mr Gollschewski also said those within the service must strive to “be the best we can be”.
“If you operate within the left and right of arc of what is expected of you and a mistake happens, you can expect the organisation’s support,” he wrote.
“However, those who choose to flout the law or do the wrong thing deliberately or recklessly will be held to account.
“I won’t waver from that commitment, and those expectations will be reinforced at every level of the organisation.”
Mr Gollschewski said he would be implementing a three-to-five year plan to solve the challenges the service faced.
Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said his only advice to Mr Gollschewski was to “concentrate and support the front line with high visibility policing”.
He said Mr Gollschewski had a track record in delivering positive outcomes.
“No doubt we’re going to disagree from time to time, but we certainly have a lot of work to do,” he said.
“And he has a lot of work to do to turn things around and ensure that not only the public are feeling safe, but they are safe.”
Mr Leavers said the current domestic violence legislation was clearly unworkable and there needed to be greater efficiencies so police could spend less time on paperwork and more time protecting victims.
He said he was lobbying for reforms.
“The legislation is antiquated,” Mr Leavers said.
“It is cumbersome. It is absolutely unworkable. And we need efficiencies so we can move forward.
“I was only in a station last week in Far North Queensland, where the service had documents and police had seven inches in volume of documents to go and serve on people.
“They were going to different residences, up to seven or eight times before they located a person to serve a document for the change of a domestic violence order.
“That is completely unworkable in 2024.”
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