Queensland Police cry foul over recruiting process

Senior Queensland police overlooked for promotion demanded to see the applications of successful candidates, sparking a crisis.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll in Brisbane on Thursday. Picture: Liam Kidston

Senior Queensland police overlooked for promotion demanded to see the applications of successful candidates, sparking a crisis that has left dozens of high-ranking appointments in doubt.

As a result of the demands, it was revealed a promoted officer submitted an application that failed to address key new selection criteria, The Australian has been told.

Colleagues questioned how the successful candidate came to be shortlisted with an application that instead addressed former, defunct criteria.

Some officers had spent months honing submissions that had to be sent to an external ­recruitment company, being used by the police service for the first time.

An independent review subsequently recommended that the promotion last year of 36 officers to the rank of inspector, superintendent and chief superintendent be scrapped and redone.

Police commissioner Katarina Carroll is now considering whether to affirm the promotions or redo the process, estimated to have cost about $1m.

The commissioner’s decision will have major ramifications ­either way.

Some promoted officers have moved around the state to take up their new positions, have bought and sold houses and their former roles have been filled.

Police were using recruitment and talent management firm Hudson for the promotion process for the first time after previously using a different firm, Chandler Macleod, several sources said.

Officers applying for promotion were told by a deputy commissioner and Hudson that there was a new regime and that they had to address new criteria in a two-page application accompanying their CV.

From the submitted applications and CVs, Hudson created a shortlist of candidates who then underwent psychometric and other testing. The Australian understands shortlisted officers went into Hudson’s office in Brisbane’s CBD and had to take part in role playing, pretending to be the head of a fictitious waste management firm.

This differed from previous years, when role playing for promotions centred on scenarios ­involving policing. Officers then faced a panel led by senior police.

A person familiar with the situation said that after overlooked officers questioned the process, a deputy commissioner sent all applicants of that rank the successful applications.

A “furore” erupted when it was discovered one of the successful applications addressed former rather than new criteria.

Queensland police are entitled to request a formal review if they have a grievance about a promotion. In this case, at least one officer requested a review.

Officers are usually reluctant to push for reviews due to concerns about how their career could be affected in future.

“Anyone who reviews in the QPS gets blacklisted, especially commissioned officers,” one officer said.

The Australian this week ­revealed an independent review commissioner had recommended 36 promotions from last year be “lapsed”. A police spokesman has said the review commissioner “was focused on process-related issues rather than the merit of ­applicants”.

However, the service has ­declined to detail what problems with the process were identified.

While the review commissioner makes recommendations, Ms Carroll has the ultimate say on whether to overturn or go ahead with promotions. But ­affected officers could challenge her decision.

The Crime and Corruption Commission provides secretarial support to police service review commissioners. The CCC’s website says the current review commissioners are consultant Julie Cork and solicitor Pat Mullins. Both declined to comment.

Hudson did not respond to calls from The Australian.