Key focus area—Public order and safety

Preservation of public order

New laws were passed by State Parliament on 25 November 2008 that enabled a 12-month trial of a new ticketing system permitting the issue of on-thespot-fines for public nuisance, public urination and associated offences.

It is anticipated the new system will free up the courts by removing thousands of public nuisance offences each year. Police will also spend less time on court work and will be able to devote more time to police work in the community.

This trial, to be completed by 31 December 2009, will allow an evaluation of the fairness and cost effectiveness of ticketing provisions for dealing with public nuisance offences, which would then inform any decision by Government to expand ticketing across the State.

Safer law enforcement

The distribution of Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs) to police districts throughout the State commenced in January 2009 as part of the three-year rollout schedule.

The QPS has developed a comprehensive training and policy framework to ensure appropriate use of the CEDs. Significant Event Review Panels have been established in each region and command to overview CED presentations and deployments in line with QPS policy.

Special information sessions were delivered to Indigenous communities across the State between January and March 2009. These sessions focused on how the CED works, the policy framework, training officers received, how usage is overviewed and monitored—emphasising it was just another tool that would help ensure the safety of offenders, officers and bystanders.

A total of 1 240 CEDs were distributed by June 30, and in addition to 248 trainers, 2 600 officers have been trained in their use.

As at 30 June 2009, CEDs had been presented 291 times. There had been 69 actual deployments. On 222 occasions the presence of a CED defused a situation and caused the person concerned to comply with police directions.

While this roll out followed a twelve month trial, on Monday 15 June 2009 the Minister for Police announced a joint Crime and Misconduct Commission and Queensland Police Service Review of CED training and operational policies. This was due to a serious incident which occurred on 12 June 2009 which involved the deployment of a CED by a Queensland Police Service officer.Personal safety and protective behaviours

The Protective Behaviours program aims to enhance the problem-solving and communications skills of people of all ages and encourages individuals to identify unsafe or potentially unsafe situations.

In 2008-09 the QPS performed an in-depth review of the Protective Behaviours program. The review identified the need for an enhanced child safety program.

The Service is currently considering the adoption of the Safe Start: Protective Behaviours for Children and Young People program. This program seeks to maximise the safety and enhance the wellbeing of children and young people by equipping them and concerned adults, with an awareness of risks and key safety concepts and strategies.

Community safety

Community Police Beats

Neighbourhood Police Beats consist of a police officer working and living from the office/residence within a beat area. The police officer is responsible for addressing the policing needs of the community within that area and research indicates reported crime rates have declined as a result.

In 2008-09, two new Neighbourhood Police Beats became operational at Logan Village and Woolloongabba (the Gabba Neighbourhood Police Beat).

There are now 60 Neighbourhood Police Beats in Queensland. No new police beats are planned for 2009-10.

Safe schools

The ‘Policing Schools Program’ encompasses full time School Based Police Officers who are based at 47 secondary schools across the State and Adopt-a-Cops who volunteer their time on a part-time basis to work with their local primary schools. Both programs promote positive relationships between the school community and police. There are currently 35 school based police officer positions and approximately 654 Adopt-a-Cops.

School Based Police Officers work in partnership with other areas of the Service and with the school community to develop better relationships, receive better information and provide better safety education outcomes.

Safety and security for seniors

Two seniors’ forums were held during the year, bringing together government, non-government agencies and community groups to discuss issues affecting seniors and to develop effective strategies.

A range of initiatives have been progressed in 2008-09, including:

• a police training DVD addressing effective communication with seniors
• an update of the Confident Safe and Secure Handbook and Senior Wiser Safer Directory
• translation of these resources into other languages
• the development of a seniors’ specific website, providing a one stop shop for seniors to prepare themselves to recognise crime risks and take proactive steps to prevent them.

Policing Queensland’s rail networks

During the 2008-09 financial year the Police Railway Squad deployed to 191 operations targeting good order offences, fare evasion and criminal activity on the QR Citytrain Network. The Squad conducted over 28 000 hours of network patrols including deployments to major horse racing events, sporting games at Suncorp Stadium and Skilled Park, and concerts at the Boondall Entertainment Centre.

During this period a total of 8 737 people of interest were intercepted, with 1 188 people arrested for 2 181 charges and 2 739 infringement notices issued. The Railway Squad also provided specialist support to regional police actions targeting criminal activity along the rail corridor.

Policing Queensland’s waterways

Water Police officers provide a policing presence, both proactive and reactive, on and around Queensland waterways. There are 11 full time water police stations throughout the State, in addition to 12 general duties stations in isolated areas which have small vessels. The Service has a fleet of 67 vessels and jet skis.

Between December 2008 and January 2009 the statewide operation ‘Summer Safe 2008-2009’ focused on the enforcement of maritime legislation and random breath testing on Queensland waterways. Each Water Police station tailored their operations to address local issues.

Close to 1 300 Marine Infringement Notices were issued statewide, with the most prevalent offences being for failing to carry the prescribed safety equipment (30%) and for speeding offences (25%). Inappropriate jet ski activity on the Gold Coast continued to be a significant factor, with 33 notices issued out of a total of 44 statewide.

Due to the success of the Summer Safe Operation 2008-09, statewide operations will continue to be planned to target peak boating periods.

The Diving Squad’s Side Scan Sonar, so named because it operates from behind a vessel rather than beneath it, proved its worth for use in underwater recovery jobs during this reporting period. The device was successfully used in locating the FV Dynasty which was lost in the Torres Strait in May 2009; a small plane which crashed off the Gold Coast in September 2008; and an unknown sunken commercial fishing vessel off Hervey Bay in June 2009.

Since its purchase in October 2007, the Side Scan Sonar has been deployed 35 times with a 100% success rate.

The Water Police capabilities were further strengthened during 2008-09 with 18 projects being undertaken under the Vessel Management Program. The Service will undertake 11 projects under this program during the 2009-10 financial year. (More on page 96).

Policing Queensland’s diversity

The Queensland Government Multicultural Policy ‘Multicultural Queensland—making a world of difference’ is the blueprint for managing diversity for the benefit of all Queenslanders. This Policy requires each government department to produce and publish multicultural action plans which demonstrate how they have integrated multicultural principles and practices into core business, and to report annually on progress and achievements. The QPS Multicultural Action Plan and reporting are available on the QPS website. Some of the highlights gleaned through this reporting mechanism are:

Cultural liaison/cultural awareness

The Police Liaison Officer (PLO) scheme provides a liaison and consultation interface between culturally diverse communities and the police. PLOs are not sworn police and do not possess police powers.

There are currently 152 PLO positions throughout the State, including approximately 24 allocated to discrete Indigenous communities including Horn Island, Mornington Island, Thursday Island, Yarrabah, Palm Island and Woorabinda. While the majority of the positions are occupied by people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, the scheme has now grown to incorporate officers from a number of other communities including the Sudanese, Pacific Islander, Muslim/Arabic, Vietnamese, Chinese and Australian South Sea Islander communities.

PLOs have been active in a number of programs and projects including:

• St George Police ‘Re-visit Program’ which received the Queensland Government 2009 Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Award. (More on page 36)
• Community of Origin Follow Up program (COFUP) in Townsville which aims to ensure Indigenous prisoners from the outer communities get home safely after being released from Stuart Prison.
• ‘Elder patrols’ in the Brisbane City and Fortitude Valley areas. These patrols utilise the skills of respected community members, police officers and PLOs. The ‘team’ engages with members of the community at relevant times to prevent crime, enhance community safety and promote alternative solutions to social problems.

Cultural appreciation

The Service administers a Cultural Appreciation Project that focuses on education and training for police officers and staff members in relation to policing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The project team in partnership with the Human Resource Development Branch has:

• reviewed the cultural awareness training provided in the Police Recruit Operational Vocational Education Program
• revised the three Competency Acquisition program workbooks that deal with Indigenous issues to provide the generic knowledge component of the base package
• developed community specific packages for officers who are about to take up positions in specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Fourteen community specific information packages, including Aurukun, Cherbourg, Doomadgee, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mapoon, Mornington Island, Napranum, Northern Peninsula area, Palm Island, Pormpuraaw, Woorabinda and Wujal Wujal have been completed and are available to officers commencing duties in these communities.

Multicultural on-line learning

The Multicultural Awareness Online Learning Product is an interactive web-based course for police which has been designed to increase police officers’ knowledge of other cultures so they can interact more effectively with the public and colleagues. This course was developed and funded within the QPS Human Resources Development Branch.

Multicultural quick reference guides (QRG)

Multicultural Quick Reference Guides are summaries about communities, developed specifically for use by operational police. The first four guides were completed during the year and a further 12 are expected to be completed in 2009-10.

The guides contain country and community profiles, police multicultural resources, recent police support and initiatives, details of interpreting services, common phrases, a guide to religions, diplomatic and consular support and community organisation contact details.

The Multicultural QRG project aims to help the QPS provide the community with appropriate and nondiscriminatory policing services by enhancing the capacity and knowledge of its members.

Crowd management

The Mounted Police Unit, along with other areas of the Service, continued to provide high visibility patrols throughout police operations and at major events. This acts as a significant deterrent to offenders and provides patrons at events with a very visible police presence to enhance overall safety and security.

Major events serviced throughout the year included: ANZAC Day, Brisbane Riverfire, Indy Car Carnival, Police Remembrance Day, Schoolies Celebrations, 2008 Royal Queensland Show and the Woodford Folk Festival.

Dignitary protection

The State Security Operations Group provided dignitary protection and protective security intelligence for the annual Australian Leadership Retreat held at Hayman Island in August 2008. The forum was attended by the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, State Premiers, senior Federal Cabinet Ministers and foreign dignitaries.

The State election, held in March 2009, saw the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition travel throughout the State during the 26 day campaign period. The State Security Operations Group, with regionally based dignitary protection personnel, provided protective security to both leaders during the campaign visits.

Police from a variety of regions and commands enhanced their dignitary protection skills by attending a Dignitary Protection Training course in May 2009. To ensure members maintain their skills, three-day training sessions are conducted by State Security Operations Group members in Brisbane and Cairns at various times throughout the year.

There are 214 officers across the State qualified to provide dignitary protection services.

Regional activities

Special Needs Action Plan with Police (SNAPP)

‘Vulnerable people and the criminal justice system’ is one of the Service's strategic priorities for 2008-09. In this regard, the Logan District SNAPP project includes helping first response officers deal with people who are vulnerable including children. As part of the project Logan District has identified 19 local police officers who have volunteered to be Special Needs Liaison Officers.

Special Needs Liaison Officers aim to facilitate outcomes and develop communication between the QPS, service providers, special needs organisations and people with special needs.

A QPRIME toolkit has been developed for the consistent recording of SNAPP information and for ongoing evaluation purposes.

Safe schools

Numerous programs and initiatives in the Gold Coast District address problems relating to youth crime. These programs and initiatives tackle the issues of truancy, bullying in the school yard—both physical and electronically, graffiti, wilful damage and trespassing. Some initiatives include:

• ‘Extreme Dreams’ – an initiative that works with youth in the community who have disengaged from school, family and friends. The project encourages self esteem and leadership and creates a partnership with agencies that handle mutual responsibilities in resolving the young person’s difficulties.
• ‘Cool Heads’ – a street outreach program for youth on the southern end of the Gold Coast. The project adopts an holistic approach and includes engagement, education and support for young people to improve community safety and reduce violence, anti-social behaviour and crime.
• ‘Good Reward’—relates to school aged youth across the Gold Coast being rewarded with McDonald’s food vouchers for wearing cycling helmets, not engaging in anti-social behaviour and attendance at school. This project is building rapport between the youth of the Gold Coast and police to help prevent crime.