Former deputy commissioner Brett Pointing says burn out, fatigue key issue in police service

A former top-ranking Qld policeman involved in a 100-day review of the service says the current system is pushing cops out of the job in record time.

Former QPS deputy commissioner Brett Pointing. File picture: Mike Batterham

One of the independent panel members of the 100-day review into the Queensland Police Service has said police officers are deeply fatigued and burnt out.

Brett Pointing – a former Queensland Police Service deputy commissioner and former Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner – was one of four people on an independent review panel advising on the review.

“Overall, the independent panel found a hard working and dedicated police service that are deeply fatigued,” Mr Pointing told The Courier-Mail.

“The frontline in particular feel under-supported and this is resulting in higher rates of attrition, particularly in the one to three year constable cohort.

“The panel observed ‘mission creep’ in the QPS. Section 2.3 of the Police Service Administration Act outlines the roles and functions of a police service.

“They’re extremely broad. However, what this does is it allows the tasking of police beyond what should be their core role in terms of keeping the community safe.

“Examples of this are prisoner transportation, guarding prisoners in hospitals on non-critical mental health responses.

“More work needs to be done to more clearly define the role of police in contemporary society, perhaps through a service charter and a demand management mechanism that ensures police are servicing the community appropriately. What does that mean?

Brett Pointing was also a former deputy commissioner for the Australian Federal Police.

“That means time spent in the prevention space, time spent with the community, understanding and responding to local issues.

“The panel observed a significant amount of burnout and stress amongst the frontline. There is a clear need for better rostering practice and more wellbeing support. This includes better fatigue management initiatives and systems.

“So our police deserve a wellbeing model that takes care of them from the first day at the academy to post retirement.

“It’s seven years since I have left the QPS, and I was shocked at the rate of attrition, particularly amongst general duties officers and first year constables.

“Sadly there was insufficient quality data to better understand why officers are leaving. Attrition matters in policing, it is a profession where we rely on experienced officers to train the next generation.

“It is currently likely that a first year constable’s field training officer may only have one or two years service. This is contributing to burnout in this important cohort.

“Similarly, we have officers in regional and remote parts of our state who are living and working in accommodation that is clearly in need of major maintenance and repair.

“Because of this, some stations have been vacant for extended periods as potential candidates for these roles see the condition of the house or station and withdraw their application.

“This then puts added pressure on the other staff, which is often one person, and the community who are under serviced. These are basic issues that must be addressed.

“You cannot say your people are the most important asset in the organisation and fail to demonstrate that through fundamental issues such as high quality training, support and compassion.

“Frontline police are frustrated by a culture that is basically a low trust model. Instead of addressing complex issues such as domestic and family violence with better training and resources, better intelligence and investigative systems and more holistic collaboration across government and non government agencies, we see a model that has checkers, checking checkers three deep.

“This non-trust approach does not improve outcomes, but fatigues an already exhausted front line, it erodes trust and can lead to disengagement.

“There is an urgent need for a rethink of the leadership training and professional development offered to police at all levels.

“The officer in charge cohort, in particular, are in critical need of much more support through training and access to more HR, financial and administrative support.

“A lot of this support has been eroded and is critical to rebuild that capacity.

“We have also seen the trialling of new rostering practices that take police away from their home division for extended periods of time.

“This has been done in good faith to meet demand in busy areas, but it is a short-term fix which only creates more problems. Divisional policing is the cornerstone on which community policing is built.

“It is so critically important for police to be highly connected to their communities, to understand their unique problems, to work collaboratively with the community, to prevent crime, first and foremost, and solve it should it occur.

“The independent panel has also observed a decline in the level of governance within the service. As a consequence, I should say the independent panel has strongly recommended the re-establishment of an Office of the Commissioner to elevate and consolidate the strategy, performance and policy functions of the service to ensure high levels of governance, accountability and personal accountability.

“I do think that the 65 recommendations are a solid blueprint for reform and if followed diligently, will lead the service to a better future and provide much better outcomes for the Queensland community.”

Originally published as Former deputy commissioner Brett Pointing says burn out, fatigue key issue in police service