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AAP
AAP
National
Nick Gibbs

Qld DV probe focus on teen police recruits

Teenage police officers who have recently graduated high school may spend up to 40 per cent of their days dealing with domestic violence incidents, a Queensland inquiry has been told.

A state probe into the police response to domestic and family violence has been focusing on training and recruitment, and on Tuesday it heard evidence of the force's efforts to attract school-leavers.

The state's police service in June lowered the age for aspiring recruits to 17 years, although potential officers will need to wait until they are 18 to begin training.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Mark Kelly said he was unsure how many applicants the Queensland Police Service would get from the school-leaver group, but he agreed providing them with more information about the time they would likely spend dealing with domestic and family violence would be beneficial.

Up to 40 per cent of a police officer's time can be spent on domestic violence-related matters based on earlier evidence at the inquiry, counsel assisting Ruth O'Gorman said.

Acting Inspector Mel Dwyer said the culture within individual police stations had an impact on recruits fresh from the academy.

"The way in which we speak about domestic and family violence in our stations, in our patrol cars, within the meal room where we unpack the day's events with colleagues, can really have such a significant impact on all of us," she told the inquiry.

Rockhampton constable Kate Gersekowski estimated that she attended between two and three domestic violence incidents each day.

Asked whether recruits who likely had limited personal experience with relationships would benefit from further training, Mr Kelly said all police should receive the same preparation.

"We can always train more ... we should train everyone the same way," he said.

The police service was aiming to increase staff numbers by more than 2000 people by 2025, but Mr Kelly said he didn't believe standards would suffer as a result.

"We need to make sure that we're recruiting the best possible people to be police officers," he said.

Judge Deborah Richards is heading the independent commission announced in response to recommendations from the Women's Safety and Justice Taskforce.

This week, hearings will examine the capability, capacity and structure of Queensland Police Service's response to domestic and family violence.

The commission is expected to report by October 4.

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