Southport and Coolangatta watch houses overcrowding with prisoners and juvenile offenders

Police at one of the Gold Coast’s busiest stations claim they’re close to walking off the job as watch houses hit capacity and they are told at times to “stop making arrests”.

Gold Coast watch houses faces overcrowding.

One of the Gold Coast’s busiest police stations is so close to running out of room to lock up detainees that officers are at times told to “stop making arrests”, insiders claim.

Officers at Southport station claim it is close to breaking point due to overcrowding and they’re contemplating walking off the job and taking stress leave, unable to cope with a surge of inmates in lock-up.

“We’re supposed to be guarding 70 detainees and for months we have been going over that,” an officer from the busy station claimed.

“We have nights where you have one member of staff to 19 detainees, possibly more.

“It’s not only dangerous but mentally it’s a toll.”

Whistleblowers claim police cars are ramping for an hour to off load detainees. Photo: Emily Halloran

Staff claim since late last year cells have regularly been full following the state government’s decision to relocate accused criminals into watch houses to take pressure off overcrowded jails.

“Coolangatta was reopened for overflow when we couldn’t take anymore. That old dump only has three beds and last week it had seven detainees,” the Southport officer said.

“All we’ve done is move one problem and put it somewhere else with less staff and resources.”

The officer said frontline cops were being pulled from the road to help staff the facilities and at times some crews were left waiting more than an hour to offload new arrests.

“There’s been a few times when we’ve been told stop making arrests where someone is wanted on a return to prison warrant.

“We can’t put them anywhere.”

A spokesperson for the Queensland Police Service said that staffing levels at Southport and Coolangatta were “proportionate” to the demands required.

“Capacity figures are closely monitored, and transfers between watch houses and detention facilities are instigated, when needed, to appropriately accommodate the operations of the watch houses.”

The QPS spokesperson denied the claims that officers had been directed to stop arresting offenders.

“But they are instructed to act strategically based on arrests and custody timelines to minimise operational impact.”

Southport MP Rob Molhoek blamed poor planning for watch houses overcrowding.

State member for Southport Rob Molhoek said he wasn’t surprised by the revelations and claimed it was “an accident waiting to happen”.

“There has been no planning for increased capacity in spite of growing population,” Mr Molhoek said.

“I’ve called on the (Police) Minister (Mark Ryan) many times to increase the staffing and raised concerns previously about youth detainees in the watch houses.”

Mr Ryan said the deployment and allocation of staff was a matter for the commissioner.

“Construction of a youth remand centre is currently underway at the Wacol Police Precinct,” Mr Ryan said.

“Once operational (it) will further enhance capacity for young offenders who are required to be held.”

The Bulletin has been told by youth justice case workers that as many as 12 juveniles were housed at Southport last Wednesday awaiting court appearances. Some had reportedly spent days in the facility.