Overhaul for Queensland police discipline system

The Queensland Police Service disciplinary system is set for its biggest overhaul since the Fitzgerald inquiry.

A new discipline system will have a greater emphasis on rehabilitation of officers in Queensland.

The Queensland Police Service disciplinary system is set for its biggest overhaul since the Fitzgerald inquiry into police corruption following an 18-month review.

In a rare show of bipartisan support, the Palaszczuk government and Liberal National Party opposition signed off on the changes recommended by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

The new discipline system will have a greater emphasis on rehabilitation of officers, rather than punishment. Disciplinary investigations will be shorter and more targeted.

Police accused of misconduct will also be given an option similar to a guilty plea to speed up the disciplinary process and officers guilty of wrongdoing could be ­ordered to do community service.

CCC chairman Alan MacSporran said the path towards reform, likely to take effect in the second half of next year, had been “long and torturous” but was backed by the police service and Queensland’s two police-­related unions after multiple ­attempts and reviews over the past decade fell flat.

“Through (the new) initiatives we will be able to achieve time­liness and consistency of outcomes, not only for QPS officers but also for complainants,” Mr MacSporran said.

He said the changes had been achieved through compromises made by all of the groups involved, including the CCC, the police service, the Queensland Police Union and the Commissioned ­Officers’ Union. That included the CCC giving up its objection to suspended sanctions, with the exception of dismissals.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Levers said he was surprised by the level of co-operation.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said the changes, based on a 2015 election promise, would help ­ensure the “eternal vigilance” ­espoused by the Fitzgerald inquiry in the late 1980s.

“We see today a strengthening of the police disciplinary system by having a system that it timely, consistent, fair but remains of course broadly oversighted by the CCC, the independent integrity body here in Queensland,” he said.

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said the new system would particularly speed up investigation of allegations.

Under the new system, in most cases police ethical standards command and CCC will have 12 months from the date of the ­alleged misconduct to bring a disciplinary hearing.

“The community needs to have confidence in the police and police need to have confidence that they are being treated fairly by those above them and by the independent oversight agency, particularly the CCC,” Commissioner Stewart said.

Opposition police spokesman Tim Mander said the rare ­moment of bipartisanship was necessary to fix a disciplinary system that was taking “far too long”.

While there are 59 stood-down or suspended police officers awaiting the result of an investigation, there are about 2000 complaints against police each year. The police service has been rocked by allegations against senior officers in recent months, ­including superintendent Michelle Stenner who was last month charged with misconduct in public office and three counts of perjury following a CCC investigation.