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AAP
AAP
Politics
Marty Silk and Robyn Wuth

Qld top cop says COVID-19 hindered reform

Queensland's top cop says the pandemic hindered her reforms, but this time it will be different, after a report blamed the leadership for domestic violence policing failures.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has asked the public to put their faith in her after a three-month commission of inquiry called for the Queensland Police Service to be restructured.

Judge Deborah Richards' report found that an "unchecked" culture of sexism, racism and misogyny in the QPS, and a lack of resources, led to inconsistent and inadequate domestic violence (DV) responses that left victims unprotected and perpetrators emboldened.

The situation had been allowed to continue unchecked over many years due to "a failure of leadership", the report said.

The state government has accepted 78 recommendations to restructure the QPS, but backed Ms Carroll to continue in the role.

Ms Carroll has blamed COVID-19 for hindering her reform plans since she took over in 2019, saying this time it will be different.

"We had to stop, we had to start, we had to stop and start, and this really inhibited some of the reforms," she told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

"But as I said ... with the recommendations and with the substantial money and resources coming with it, I am very confident that this report will be expedited."

The report also said that some QPS members don't have trust and faith in the commissioner, and that some think the organisation's top brass "lacks integrity".

Ms Carroll said the public should have faith in the leadership because they have "delivered tremendously" in policing the G20, the Commonwealth Games, disaster management and the pandemic.

Police Minister Mark Ryan backed Ms Carroll to lead the reform, saying the report was not about blaming individuals.

"So this is a broader thing than a particular individual, this is about system change, and we all need to do it together," he told ABC Radio.

"We all need to accept the standard, set the tone and be the example."

Judge Richards' report also found the QPS hadn't trained officers properly or provided enough resources for domestic violence policing.

The government has pledged $100 million in funding for 300 DV case workers, 30 DV liaison officers, 30 cultural liaison officers and 10 special prosecutors in response to the recommendations.

Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski has been appointed as special co-ordinator to enact the reforms, while former Queensland agent-general Linda Apelt will monitor the process for the next three months.

The report also called for a new unit in the Crime and Corruption Commission to probe all police complaints, and for an independent commissioner to review DV victims' complaints.

There were 129 domestic violence killings by former or current intimate partners or family members between 2016 and 2022, according to the Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board.

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