Mark Ryan won’t reveal how many staff are available at Southport station as CBD policing in crisis

Police Minister Mark Ryan is refusing to release police number information, despite it being published many times before. SEE WHY

Police Minister Mark Ryan refuses to reveal the number of officers rostered at Southport station.

The State Government is refusing to release roster numbers that would spotlight dire staffing at the Gold Coast’s busiest police station - as an officer cut can be revealed.

Police Minister Mark Ryan has refused to reveal numbers of officers rostered to work at Southport station in a response to a question on notice in State Parliament.

He said it “has the potential to compromise officer safety”.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek, who asked the question, has accused the Palaszczuk Government of a “cover up”.

The Bulletin in a special investigation with whistleblowers detailed how the CBD station was dealing with gangs, DV and youth crime yet operating at half strength.

In responding to the question from Mr Molhoek, Mr Ryan also revealed the number of officers allocated to the station has secretly been cut.

In 2021 there were 101 officers allocated to the station, but the police minister says “as at 31 August 2023, the approved permanent positions for police officers for Southport Division was 100”.

The CBD station has it lowest number of staff in more than 13 years despite requests for service skyrocketing. Some residents last month waited four hours for counter service.

Mr Robert (Rob) Molhoek, Member for Southport (LNP), Queensland parliament Question Time, Brisbane. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

Mr Molhoek said the staffing crisis at Southport had not improved since he first received whistleblower reports late last year.

“I’m still getting concerns and complaints from people about the lack of police numbers and availability at the station,” Mr Molhoek said.

“It’s blatantly obvious police are spread incredibly thin around the Southport police district.

“It’s frustrating the Minister has chosen not to provide any direct answers. It’s just a cover up.”

In defending his decision to stop publicly releasing staffing data, Minister Ryan highlighted the execution and murder of two police officers near Chinchilla last year as part of his concerns.

“The security context in Queensland is constantly evolving and changing, for example since the Wieambilla tragedy” he said.

“Our office will always follow the latest advice from the Queensland Police Service”.

Police minister Mark Ryan says he won’t release staffing data due to safety concerns. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Rosters obtained by the Bulletin show the station late last year was operating with 100 staffers including administrative workers and cleaners.

A breakdown of the roster reveals on a Monday shift at least 35 officers were on a programmed day off (PDO).

Another 17 officers were on sick leave, unfit for duty or on recreation leave.

At least a dozen police were permanently off on long term leave.

Six officers had been assigned to Schoolies and at least five were away on training duties.

It left about eight officers for the front counter and 20 - one fifth of the station’s strength - for “general duties”.

The station has the highest amount of “case officer tasks” for the district, estimated to be 1800 late last year.

“The Southport counter is open 24/7 and required to be manned. The counter itself attracts a higher proportion of people reporting on an array of matters than any other division,” the whistleblower said.

Southport calls for service.

There has been a staggering increase in the demand for police resources in Southport with the number of call-outs up nearly 60 per cent in the two years to 2020.

Only last month, a female resident reporting a domestic violence complaint said she and others were waiting up to four hours because only one officer was available.

Whistleblowers late last year first warned the Southport police station was “operating at less than 50 per cent of its workforce”.

“This means at times, the station is struggling to put a single car on the road to attend to calls for service,” a whistleblower said.

“Night shifts often find a single officer in the station with a supervisor and one crew attending to calls.”