Top cops blast QPS leadership, demand change

High-ranking officers have criticised the Queensland Police Service, saying it is “not as successful” in solving crime yet had an “ever-expanding” executive team.

The Commissioned Officers’ Union said the QPS had an “ever-expanding Executive Leadership Team (ELT) that has failed to design or implement the positive change required to meet the challenges we face”. Picture: File photo/Richard Gosling

• Editorial: Senior ranks won’t cop it

High-ranking officers have criticised the Queensland Police Service for being “submissive and lacking strategic vision and leadership” with a bloated civilian-stacked executive team that has failed to design or implement positive change.

The Courier-Mail has obtained correspondence sent by the Commissioned Officers’ Union to its 300 members, ranked Inspector to Chief Superintendent, saying they are unhappy with engagement from the service relating to reforms they have been asking for since last year.

The union has been pushing for the service to go back to its “core role” of policing and protecting the community and has also raised concerns about a massive increase in civilian positions in the service, stating more than half the executive leadership team are not police.

The union told members it wrote to the service after an internal 100-day review was announced with an advisory panel including Mischa Fahl, former deputy commissioners Ross Barnett, Brett Pointing and former detective superintendent Mark Ainsworth.

In the letter, sent to members, the union said it had prepared a submission to the review. The union supports the review and has pushed for changes raised in its own review to be addressed.

“In terms of the review itself, we are currently discussing the level of engagement the QPS has made with your union,” the union correspondence said.

“We are not satisfied it is sufficient. The good news is that we have had very strong engagement from the government appointed overview team.

“Their extensive experience and knowledge will be critical.”

The letter listed a summary of what had been submitted to the service following a survey of members in February 2024 which asked about the direction the senior leadership was taking them amid concerns about the state’s crime crisis.

It came at a time when former Commissioner Katarina Carroll was facing intense internal pressure from both commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

“The results revealed a clear and widely held view that despite the extraordinary work of our police officers, the QPS has lost its way,” the union letter said of the survey results.

“By any reasonable measure, including workforce morale, community satisfaction, crime rates and solved offence, we are not as successful as we once were.

“The service has been seen as submissive and lacking strategic vision and leadership, with an ever-expanding Executive Leadership Team (ELT) that has failed to design or implement the positive change required to meet the challenges we face.

“Incoherent plans, constantly changing priorities and failed initiatives that are little more than tactical responses to strategic problems have been a feature of the Service’s leadership.

“The QPCOUE has consistently argued for an organisational review to reset the QPS and we commend the Queensland government for initiating the 100-day review.”
The letter to members said the review was an opportunity for the QPS to refocus on its core responsibilities of policing.

“The review will require the QPS to be open regarding mistakes and accept organisational responsibility for poor decisions and failings,” the message said.
“It must also commit to significant, genuine, and meaningful reform and the QPCOUE is concerned regarding their willingness and capability to do so.
“The QPS has a poor recent history in terms of positive organisational change.”

In the moments leading up to Ms Carroll’s resignation as commissioner, senior officers said they believed the service had taken on too many roles outside of its “core responsibility” of protecting the Queensland community.

There were frustrations the service was being driven by the government and police had taken on responsibilities of the State Emergency Service, Maritime Safety Queensland, Queensland Ambulance Service ramping, youth justice including the government’s five-point plan,

Queensland Government Air, Protective Services and Queensland Health responsibilities during the Covid-19 years.

When asked about the recent union letter to the service, a QPS spokesman said the review team and independent panel was considering input from stakeholders including the union.

“The QPS has undergone several external reviews in recent years,” the spokesman said.

“This internal review allows us to take a proactive approach in evaluating our structure to improve efficiencies, enhance morale, and strengthen accountability.”

Originally published as Top cops blast QPS leadership, demand change