Southern and Central beat police face higher rate of burnout, exhaustion and work overload

The suburbs where Gold Coast frontline police officers are struggling the most are revealed in a confidential internal survey. Subscribe to read the best and worst areas to be a cop.

Southern and Central Gold Coast police suffer higher rates of burnout and stress compared to party hotspots colleagues, according to a leaked internal survey.

The Working for Queensland survey results for the Gold Coast Police District - taking the pulse of frontliners last October - reveal pressure on officers across Southport, Runaway Bay, Palm Beach, Robina and Coolangatta stations.

By comparison, morale on the beat at entertainment precincts and tourism hubs Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach is much higher.

The confidential survey results, obtained by the Bulletin, show:

* Central Patrol Group officers, staffed at Southport and Runaway Bay stations, report highest work stress with 70 per cent feeling overloaded “often or always”. Those cops also had the worst results for burnout (65 per cent), physical exhaustion (47 per cent), needing to work longer hours (35 per cent), and unachievable deadlines (40 per cent);

* 39 per cent of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach officers report burnout from being overworked.

The surveying shows Southern Gold Coast Patrol Group of Robina, Palm Beach and Coolangatta station’s had the highest reported rate of emotional demand (71 per cent).

Officers within the Northern Patrol Group, the city’s largest covering the southwest of Natural Bridge to northeast of Albert, recorded high rates of emotional demand (71 per cent), exhaustion (59 per cent), and burnout (56 per cent).

A senior police source said: “Palm Beach (station) is struggling to cope with Burleigh, there's a changing dynamic there. At Surfers and Broadbeach, there has been a concerted focus on the entertainment precinct and areas of mass gatherings.

“The calls for services in the other areas has been on the back of increased incidents of domestic violence and youth crime, which has been overwhelming.”

The Bulletin has reported on staffing pressure at Southport and Runaway Bay in 15 months of its Thin Blue Line investigation.

Whistleblowers in March last year said the city’s busiest police station Southport was confronted with youth gang crime, drug use and homelessness fallout - and operating at half strength at night, putting officers at increased potential risk.

A confidential priority policing discussion paper, obtained by the Bulletin early last year, reviewed the demand for citywide police resources and said the Entertainment Precinct Group (EPG) appeared well resourced considering demands. It warned the Central Patrol Group (CPG) service demands “exceed available resourcing”.

Concerned frontline police recently said the watch house was dangerously understaffed and regularly overcrowded.

A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said QPS was committed to keep people safe.

“We highly value staff participation in Working for Queensland. Senior management respond to the results as a priority including reporting actions to the Executive Leadership Team.

“Strategies are already being implemented by local police management to address work fatigue and increasing calls for service.”

Changes since the survey results included an increase to health and wellbeing support, redeployment of officers to high-demand areas, and refocusing of the borderless policing model to share resources, the QPS spokesman said.

“The QPS will continue investing significant resources into supporting its workforce.”

Gold Coast Police District patrol group boundaries.

The Bulletin on Saturday revealed more than half Gold Coast frontline cops fear for their health and well being – and blame QPS upper management. Morale had dipped to 39 per cent feeling proud to be a copper.

SEE THE FULL RESULTS FROM THE INTERNAL POLICE SURVEY.