Stephen Bennett, Mark Ryan clash over Queensland Police numbers

Of the 1450 frontline police pledged to Queensland by 2025, an MP claims just a handful are in place. But Police Minister Mark Ryan has hit back, labelling the stats as “wrong”.

Is Queensland getting the next cops it's been promised? Burnett MP Stephen Bennett and Police Minister Mark Ryan have different takes.

Queensland has gained only five frontline police officers in the past 12 months, according to a state MP who says the number is only a fraction of what Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk promised two years ago.

But police Minister Mark Ryan hit back at the MP’s claims, saying the number of new officers was substantially higher.

“At the 2020 election the Palaszczuk Government promised an extra 1450 police officers would join the Queensland Police Service by 2025,” Burnett MP Stephen Bennett said.

“At the most recent Parliamentary Estimates, it was revealed they had added just five extra officers to the frontline in the last 12 months.

“It's clear this failure is being felt across Queensland and in particular our Wide Bay region.”

Mr Bennett pointed to the Budget Strategy and Outlook Paper No 2 for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 in making his assessment of the numbers of officers.

The report pages use from March 2015 to calculate percentage increases in police officers.

It states the increase from 2021-22 was 728 (or 6.4 per cent) and for 2022-23, it was 733 (or 6.5 per cent) – a difference of five between the two budgets.

Mr Bennett, who recently threw his support behind a campaign for district duty officers in the regions, said the state was failing in its obligations to keep Queenslanders safe.

“Crime is out of control and tearing communities apart, but the Premier is refusing to listen,” he said.

“The Palaszczuk Government weakened the laws and has failed to deliver on its promise to increase police numbers.”

In September 2020 Ms Palaszczuk pledged Labor would spend $624m on hiring 2025 extra officers across the state, with 1450 serving on the frontline.

State MPs have traded blows over the number of new police in Queensland.

Of that number, she said 150 would be located in key regions throughout the state.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said Mr Bennett’s information was “wrong”.

“In August this year, Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said there had been an increase of 143 police officers in the 12 months since June, 2021,” he said.

“The Palaszczuk Government takes community safety seriously, and has committed to a record $3bn police budget – the biggest ever.

“There are 1000 more police officers on the ground than there was when the LNP was last in power in 2015.”

Mr Ryan said the State Government was committed to the target of 2025 extra police by 2025, and that at least 150 would serve in the North Coast region including Wide Bay and Burnett.

“Just this weekend, the Queensland Police Service hosted an estimated 2500 potential police recruits across two open days in Townsville and Brisbane, as part of the largest recruitment campaign conducted by the QPS,” he said.

“This government is committed to cracking down on crime, and doing all it can to support our police.”

Mr Ryan took aim at Mr Bennett, saying the current government provided more police than the LNP.

“Under Stephen Bennett and the LNP’s 2020 election commitment there would be 1000 fewer police across Queensland if they were in power,” he said.

“The LNP’s proposal would leave the QPS underfunded and understaffed, just as they did when they were last in government.”

Originally published as Stephen Bennett, Mark Ryan clash over Queensland Police numbers