Queensland Police Service Internet Site: Privacy and Collection Statement
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has established responsible and accountable collection and management guidelines to protect personal information within the Service against loss, misuse or inappropriate modification or disclosure.
QPS information management policies and procedures conform to the requirements of the Police Service Administration Act 1990, Public Service Act 2008, Public Service Regulations 2008 and Information Privacy Act 2009. Accountability requirements under these legislative provisions and the Crime and Corruption Act 2001 apply to any alleged contravention of authorised procedures.
Personal information is defined by Information Privacy Act 2009 as, "information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion."
Privacy Overview
Information Privacy relates to the fair collection and handling of personal information. The Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act) sets out the ways in which Queensland Government agencies must handle personal information and also provides individuals with access and amendments rights to their own personal information. Eleven Information Privacy Principles (IPPs), contained within the IP Act, along with other relevant sections, govern the way Queensland government agencies collect, store, access and use personal information.
Personal information is defined in the IP Act as information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion. Examples of personal information include a person’s name and address, date of birth, physical characteristics including height, birthmarks and tattoos.
Collection of Information
In order to perform its statutory functions and responsibilities, QPS needs to deal with personal information. These responsibilities include but are not limited to: law enforcement, community safety, road safety and justice services, the investigation of offences, the detection of offenders and the gathering of intelligence information.
QPS’ functions and responsibilities are set out in the
Police Service Administration Act (1990).
Use of Information
While QPS will use personal information to inform statistical reporting, the identities of individuals will not be reported.
Information provided will be used to process your application, create a Police Report, and/or resolve your complaint, compliment or query. Your personal information will be managed in compliance with the Information Privacy Act 2009.
Disclosure of Information
If QPS discloses personal information to other State and Federal Government agencies, this will only occur where one of the following has occurred: the individuals concerned have consented to the disclosure or the disclosure is in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 or the disclosure is authorised or required under a law.
Security of Information
QPS personnel are not permitted to access, record or disclose an individual's personal information except in the performance of their duties or in specific situations permitted by law.
While QPS provides a secure Information Storage and Security Environment, you should be aware there are inherent risks associated with the transmission of information via the Internet. For those who do not wish to communicate with the QPS online, there are alternate contact methods of obtaining and providing information (including phone, mail and in person). In some circumstances, QPS guidelines may require us to send particular information by non-electronic means.
Site visit data
This website is operated by QPS. When visiting this site, a record of your visit is logged. The information logged when you access our website is:
- The user's IP address
- The date and time of the visit to the site
- The pages accessed and the documents downloaded
- The user's operating system
- The user's web browser version
Information is recorded for statistical purposes and is used by QPS to monitor the use of the site, and to make improvements. No attempt is made to identify users or their browsing activities except in the event of an investigation into apparent improper use of the QPS Internet facility, or where a law enforcement agency exercises a warrant to inspect the site’s logs.
Google Analytics
The QPS is committed to providing a useful and effective service via its webpage. To that end, the department employs the tools provided by Google Analytics to gather information about how the department's website is accessed. Google Analytics uses 'cookies', which are text files placed on your computer, to help the department analyse how users use the site.
The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers located outside of Australia.
Information that is gathered using the Google Analytics cookie includes:
- The number of visitors to the department's website
- How visitors arrive at the department's website, for example did they type the address in directly, follow a link from another webpage, or arrive via a search engine
- The number of times each page is viewed and for how long
- Time and date of visit
- Geographical location of the visitor
- Information about what browser was used to view the department's site and the operating system of the computer
- Information about whether the browser supports Java and Flash
- The speed of the user's internet connection
This information will be used by the QPS to optimise the department's site to improve access and useability, and to compile statistical data for reporting purposes.
Read more about
Google's Privacy Policy.
Privacy and the Policelink Mobile Application
Use of the Policelink Mobile App is voluntary. You can decide to download the mobile app onto your device, and can determine the extent to which you use the app once it is downloaded. You also decide what information you choose to provide using the app.
Personal information collected through the Policelink Application may include details required to submit a traffic crash report, or eye witness image/video. Details submitted as part of the ‘My Crash’ function will be used for the generation of a police report, and will be stored in the ‘View Saved Crashes’ function if saved in this way.
Complaints
If an individual believes that the Queensland Police Service has not dealt with their personal information in accordance with the Information Privacy Principles, they are entitled under the Information Privacy Act 2009 to make a complaint to the Queensland Police Service.
A privacy complaint must:
- Be in writing
- Provide a contact address to which notices can be forwarded
- Give particulars of the act or practice complained of
For further details about how your complaint will be handled, see the
Information Privacy Plan
Enquiries concerning any privacy related matters should be directed to:
Director
Information and Discipline Support Services
Queensland Police Service
Police Headquarters
200 Roma Street BRISBANE QLD 4000
Ph: 3364 4666
Fax: 3364 4675
