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The Queensland Police Service will decentralise its command to better resource the regions, in a suite of changes designed to solve fatigue and burnout in its ranks.
The findings of an independent 100-day review into the police service were released on Tuesday, including 65 recommendations to better address staff shortages and burnout.
Acting Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said one recommendation was to clearly define the limits of individual frontline roles.
Acting Commissioner Shane Chelepy speaks about the review into staff shortages and burnout.Credit: Catherine Strohfeldt
“We’ve seen mission creep within the organisation, particularly post-COVID. We’ve seen police taking on roles they shouldn’t have been doing,” he said.
“We will see a frontline focus, frontline mindset right throughout our organisation.”
About a dozen senior executive positions would be lost from Brisbane, with a restructure shifting resources from the city to the regions.
Chelepy said no one would necessarily lose their positions, but the service would instead leave positions vacant as staff left.
“Our staff are fatigued and our staff are suffering burnout,” Chelepy said.
“They do a tough job and they need to have those services in the regions, in the stations … not in Brisbane.”
Chelepy also promised to fix problems with finding regional housing and mental health support.
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Some recommendations would be implemented in weeks, with others to take up to two years, he said.
Police Minister Dan Purdie said the government would implement all recommendations, alongside those from a review into Queensland watchhouses delivered last week.
“This report is the first step … I look forward to going through every recommendation – 65 recommendations – with the commissioner,” he said.
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