LNP pledges to expand use of GPS trackers for DV offenders

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli’s election crusade against crime has shifted from young offenders to those who commit domestic violence, with an $18 million pledge to trial an expansion of GPS monitoring for high-risk offenders.

The program would initially be for 500 perpetrators, who police could track 24/7 from a central surveillance hub. An alarm would sound if the offender came close to their victim’s home or workplace.

Magistrates would be able to add a monitoring condition to a domestic violence order, lowering the threshold of an existing government scheme.

The LNP plans to force 500 domestic violence perpetrators to wear GPS trackers. The government says almost 150 already are.

Crisafulli told journalists during a campaign stop in Brisbane’s north on Friday that a Tasmanian trial of the technology had resulted in a 78 per cent reduction in serious domestic violence offences. Western Australia introduced a similar scheme in 2020.

“We want that for Queensland, and the pilot that we are doing is exciting because it will see a scale up,” Crisafulli said. “In the years ahead, we can make sure that we tip the balance of power back in favour of the victim.

“At the moment, what happens in many cases is you’ve got stalking offences where the power is with the perpetrator, and their eyes are on the victim. This allows the victim and the system to have eyes on the perpetrator.”

Danielle Carroll says the LNP’s plan – announced at Beyond DV at Westfield Carindale, which was also promised $2.5m to expand its “Hope Hub” to three other locations – could have saved her sister’s life.Credit: Cameron Atfield

A Queensland government spokesperson told Brisbane Times almost 150 high-risk domestic and family violence offenders were currently wearing GPS monitors under court or Parole Board orders after a law change in 2018.

But Women’s Legal Service chief executive Nadia Bromley said she was not aware of their “widespread use for DV offences outside sexual offending”, adding they could be part of a safety plan but were not a standalone solution.

Bromley said while anything that made victims safer was welcome, monitoring of such devices was resource intensive and their alarms could be abused to intimidate or control victims by being intentionally activated within their earshot.

“It can give the perception of safety, but if there isn’t the resources for police to respond, they are not really safer at all.”

Brian Earl Johnston, who brutally murdered estranged wife Kelly Wilkinson on the Gold Coast in 2021, was subject to a DVO.

But that did not stop him repeatedly stabbing Wilkinson before setting her on fire in the backyard of her home while her children were inside. Kelly’s sister, Danielle Carroll, said a GPS monitor on Johnston could have saved her life.

“Having monitoring on perpetrators offers another level of safety for any person going through domestic violence,” she said. “In Kelly’s case, she was in her family home. Brian was hiding in the bushes for nearly three hours.

“If she had an opportunity to know he was close, I know she would be sitting next to me now. It really is the difference between life and death.”

During Thursday’s leaders’ debate, Crisafulli said he would resign his premiership before the 2028 election if the total number of crime victims – which he has previously been referring to while talking about youth crime – did not decrease on his watch.

“We are serious about that, but across the board, we have to have a situation where there are fewer victims,” he said on Friday, promising a minister for open data would ensure real-time public “accountability metrics”.

But speaking at a media conference in Caloundra on Friday, Premier Steven Miles questioned Crisafulli’s dedication to the pledge. “As if he actually intends to keep that commitment,” he said.

“He is saying that to get through the election campaign, then he knows he’ll have four years to find ways to weasel out of it.”

Queensland Courts data shows 27,857 DVO applications were made in the last financial year, with 4363 so far in 2024-25 (to August 31). Of this year’s cases, 74.9 per cent were against men in heterosexual relationships.

The number of DV-related assaults recorded by police almost tripled year-on-year to 22,293 in 2021-22 after police began recording all offences associated with DV incidents.

The majority of work carried out by police relates to domestic or sexual violence.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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