With law and order such a hot topic in Queensland you would have thought the government could have done things a little better, but yet again they simply have no idea when it comes to law and order. Here is the press release in full put out by me as police spokseperson.
The Queensland Party spokesperson for Police, corrections and emergency services Darren Hunt has slammed the state governments budget as grossly inadequate to address the law and order reforms needed and called for the introduction of a police helicopter unit.
Mr Hunt said "The government has shown they just don’t get it when it comes to policing our state. The fact that the government has allocated one third of the budget increase for more speed cameras, clearly demonstrates where their priorities lie. They also want to make a big deal about 150 new police officers. That’s not even half of what the Queensland police service have been losing year after year. That 150 won’t even scratch the surface of what they continue to lose, let alone increase police numbers.”
“Yet again the government refuses to listen to the Queensland Police union and the experts who all call for a police helicopter. The Minister is more interested in increasing the government fixed wing fleet so they can use it to swan about in comfort, pork barreling other electorates. How many criminals have been caught by a fixed wing aircraft Minister? ”
“It is a real slap in the face for police to be told they can’t have a helicopter due to budget constraints when the QPS gave back $16million of their budget. That would easily pay for a helicopter for Queensland. It is outrageous that frontline police don’t have the equipment they need and have to purchase their own equipment to use at work when this occurs. The state of police houses and stations across Queensland are in such a state of disrepair that staff have given up asking to get them fixed. Radio black spots continue to put police lives in danger. It is an absolute joke and simply not good enough.”
“It shows managers are more interested in sucking up their political masters in the government than they are in providing frontline police the resources they need to effectively do their job. This is why people don’t feel safe in their own towns when frontline police have to beg and plead to get equipment that should be provided to them. Given the needs of frontline police it is an absolute disgrace that every last cent allocated to the Queensland Police Service was not spent on equipping these officers to an acceptable standard.”
“The Queensland Party supports the call for the Queensland Police Service to be given a helicopter for operational use. The Queensland Party calls for an urgent review of the police staffing model to ensure staff and resources are directed to where they are needed most. The Queensland Party will continue to call for frontline police to be a higher priority than speed cameras and to be given the staff and resources they need to effectively do their job, which is clearly not happening under the current regime.”
Darren Hunt
Queensland Party police, corrections and emergency services spokesperson
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