Key focus area—Ethical conduct and integrity

The Service is committed to the promotion and maintenance of the highest standard of ethical behaviour. The Queensland Police Service Code of Conduct gives effect to the requirements of the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994, by clearly describing the ethical responsibilities and identifying appropriate workplace conduct for all QPS employees. Our code of conduct can be viewed at: www.police.qld.gov.au/services/reportsPublications/.

Ethical Standards Command (ESC) manages the internal complaint system and promotes ethical behaviour and professional practice within the Service. The work of ESC is supported by a strong partnership with the Crime and Misconduct Commission and Professional Practice Managers in each region and command.

Complaints against members of the Service

The QPS monitors complaints data to ensure standards of professionalism are maintained and to improve service delivery. The monitoring of complaints is done in partnership with the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).

In the 2008-09 financial year, the Service received 2 443 complaints against its personnel.

Over the past year, the Service has made significant enhancements to the Client Service System (CSS)— formally known as COMPASS—used to record and manage complaints and favourable reports.

A key driver for change to CSS is Project Verity, a joint CMC/QPS project aimed at improving the QPS discipline system. Responsibility for resolving complaints has been entrusted to officers-in-charge, allowing them to take greater ownership of complaint management in their work units.

The enhanced version of CSS is currently being trialled in Metropolitan North and North Coast Regions.

Audits, inspections and reviews

Internal Audit is an independent function established within the QPS to assist the Commissioner to discharge his responsibilities under the Financial Accountability Act 2009 and related legislation. Internal Audit had due regard to Queensland Treasury’s Audit Committee Guidelines.

In 2008-09, Internal Audit undertook reviews of organisational activities supporting service delivery and made recommendations for improvement in the areas of corporate governance, including the management of physical, intellectual, financial and human resources.

The Inspectorate and Evaluation Branch (IEB) of the ESC works with Internal Audit and also conducts inspections and evaluations of a range of operational functions, duties and establishments. These complement the activities undertaken by the Internal Audit Branch. During 2008-09 the IEB conducted nine district/establishment audits and a range of inspections in relation to issues of Service-wide significance including:

• tactical crime squads
• Coronial support
• QPS Academy
• loss of QPS property.

Other major reviews/evaluations completed during 2008-09 included:

• 12 month trial of safety hoods in watchhouses
• review of the QPS search and rescue model
• review of regional aviation security training
• attitudinal driving workshops
• management of the Child Protection Register in Queensland
• review of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Guidelines
• National Counter Terrorism Committee multijurisdictional exercise—Mercury08.

Audit Committee

The QPS Audit Committee assists the Commissioner in the review of the internal audit function and annual financial statements. The Audit Committee has observed the terms of its charter and had due regard to Queensland Treasury’s Audit Committee Guidelines.

Membership of the Audit Committee as at 30 June 2009 included:

• Mr G Carpenter, Consultant (Chair)
• Assistant Commissioner, Ethical Standards Command
• Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan South Region
• Director, Administration Division.

Activities of the Audit Committee in the financial period 2008-09 are detailed on page 10.

Ethical conduct and integrity training

Discipline and ethical awareness training has been provided on a statewide basis. This proactive education and training emphasises self-regulation and ethical decision-making. During this financial year, 117 courses and sessions were delivered to 2 177 participants as follows:

• Managerial Resolution Course (19 courses and 248 attendees)
• Discipline Investigation Course (17 courses and 262 attendees)
• Discipline Hearings Course (4 courses and 35 attendees)
• Meeting the Challenge Course (61 sessions and 1 323 attendees)
• Ethical Awareness Sessions (16 sessions and 309 attendees).

Ethical awareness sessions were included in the Staff Member Induction Course, Police Liaison Officer Induction Course, Queensland Police Union of Employees Branch Officials Course and in sessions delivered to external agencies such as QUT students and the Prostitution Licensing Authority.

Risk assessments and risk management

During the year, risk assessments were completed on officers, work environments, duty types or any combination of these factors posing a potential risk to the Service. This year 603 requests for intelligence data were responded to—assisting a number of internal clients and external agencies to perform their functions. Intelligence data comprises a broad range of information on officers under investigation or on those identified in a risk assessment process.

As part of the Service’s commitment to best practice in risk management, key activities conducted during the year included:

• ensuring ongoing coordination of risk management and business continuity planning across the Service
• promotion of risk management and business continuity (including pandemic planning) techniques through marketing, training, support and advice, including delivery of the Risk Management and Business Continuity Training course
• ongoing evaluation of risk management and business continuity planning practices and the development and initiation of improved procedures and policies
• progression of a revised Corporate Risk Register.

Risk Management Committee

The Risk Management Committee’s membership included:

• Assistant Commissioner Ethical Standards Command (Chair)
• Deputy Commissioner (Regional Operations)
• Deputy Commissioner (Specialist Operations)
• Deputy Chief Executive (Resource Management)
• Director Finance Division
• Director Office of the Commissioner
• QPS Solicitor
• One regional Assistant Commissioner
• Risk Management Coordinator.

Activities of the Risk Management Committee in the financial period 2008-09 are set out on page 10.

Probity checks

ESC is responsible for conducting probity checks in relation to promotions and awards. During the reporting period, 7 758 individual probity checks were conducted in line with the Service’s philosophy of maintaining the highest standards of personal and organisational integrity.

Corruption prevention plan

An updated Corruption Prevention Plan 2009-2013 is currently being finalised. The revised plan reinforces a whole of Service approach in accordance with the Police Service Administration Act 1990 and Whistle Blowers Protection Act 1994. The framework for this plan is based on four pillars:

1. the QPS corporate governance framework for corruption prevention

2. a strategic framework to ensure that the QPS remains a corruption resistant organisation based upon:

• strengthening the ethical culture
• targeting of corruption risks
• the QPS framework for corruption prevention plans at district, station and work unit level

3. individual commitment: ‘Integrity is everyone’s business’

4. education and ethical awareness.

The purpose of the plan is to foster and maintain community confidence in the integrity of the Service through provision of a framework to build a corruption resistant culture within the QPS.

Between June 2008 and January 2009, training on the QPS Corruption Prevention Plan and its strategic importance to the QPS Risk Management Policy was provided to 518 supervisors/managers.

Internal Witness Support Program

The Internal Witness Support Program is integral in promoting a climate where employees are prepared to report the suspected inappropriate behaviour of their peers. Under the Police Service Administration Act 1990, members have a mandatory obligation to report matters of suspected misconduct or breaches of discipline. During 2008-09, advice and assistance was provided to 116 members in respect to internal witness issues.

Best practice in ethical behaviour

Metropolitan North Region has been forging professional networks with the Queensland Public Sector Ethics Network and Corruption Prevention Network Queensland with a view to identifying strategies which may assist in maintaining an ethical and professional workforce by implementing best practice identified in other departments.

Professional practice within the region has been enhanced by analysing Conductive Energy Device and OC spray deployments within the context of the Significant Event Review Panel and seeking advice and clarification from members in their choice of use of force options. This requirement has resulted in members validating or challenging their decisions to ensure that best practice is implemented at each future deployment situation.

Whistleblowers Protection Act 1994

Like all Queensland Government departments, the QPS is required under the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1994, to report to Parliament on the number of public interest disclosures received and verified. There were no public interest disclosures received by the Service during 2008-09.