General News
4 June, 2024
Pat Weir: local police need support
Local Member for Condamine Pat Weir (pictured) believes short staffing at the Clifton and Cambooya police stations at the moment is a symptom of a wider staff retention crisis facing the Queensland Police Service.
For some years, the Clifton Police Station has been allocated two full-time police positions and one part-time administration staff position.
In most of 2024 thus far, Clifton has only had one police officer covering all the duties while the other two staff members have been on leave.
Mr Weir told the Clifton Courier he has heard from community members, including at this year’s Anzac Day service, that they are concerned with the lack of policing numbers in Clifton.
Mr Weir said he wanted to make sure he was not questioning the grounds of the staff members’ leave.
The Clifton Division covers the neighbouring town of Nobby as well as outlying areas such as Ellangowan, Pilton and as far as West Haldon.
With only one active police officer, Clifton is supplemented by officers from the Warwick command, which also includes Allora.
Allora Police Station has two police officers and no administration staff.
Leyburn Police Station has a sole police officer allocation as does the Cambooya Police Station.
Mr Weir said the Cambooya position has recently become vacant and there could be a long wait until its filled, as it took over twelve months to fill last time.
“The long, protracted absences are really high-lighting the police shortage,” he said.
In the lead-up to the previous two state elections, won by Labor, Mr Weir has called for the Drayton Police Station to be made open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Drayton Police Division covers a fairly large population, including the Toowoomba suburbs of Darling Heights and Drayton, part of Harristown, Hodgson Vale, Top Camp, Mount Rascal, Vale View, Westbrook, Wyreema and Wellcamp.
Mr Weir said making the Drayton station 24/7 is “high on the priority list” for the Toowoomba police command.
In the lead-up to the State Election in October this year, Mr Weir said keeping police in the job will be an important goal for the Liberal National Party.
“We need to stop police officers from leaving the force,” he said.
“They’re frustrated with not being supported.”
“There are less police officers now than at the last election.”
Mr Weir said the LNP had been pushing for breach of bail, which the Labor Government has finally taken up, and also support removing detention as a last resort.
Both of these policies have a strong focus on reducing youth crime.
Mr Weir said although police staffing in other areas of the Condamine electorate is mostly good for now, his colleague James Lister, Member for Southern Downs, has told him there is a police shortage in Millmerran and Texas.
These two electorates are a telling example of how the shortage of Queensland Police officers has had an impact on regional and rural towns.
In January this year, Queensland Police Academies did have a record high number of 681 new recruits commencing at Brisbane and Townsville.
Incentives have been provided by the State Government to entice new recruits, including a special cost of living allowance on top of the current recruit wage, free accommodation for recruits living at police academies, $20,000 towards the relocation costs of interstate and overseas applicants who are serving or recently served police officers and up to $20,000 towards eligible HECS debts for successful police recruit graduates.
Mr Weir has submitted a Question on Notice in Queensland Parliament to the Minister for Police and Community Safety, Mark Ryan, asking when the Clifton Police Station will reopen.
Mr Weir said he is waiting for a response from the Minister, which is due shortly.
