RECORD RESOURCES FOR FRONTLINE POLICE 

On top of the 2,025 extra police personnel over five years, the Palaszczuk Government is supporting a record roll-out of more police resources for frontline police. 

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Member for Capalaba, Don Brown, said frontline police across Queensland would benefit from a record $77 million investment over five years in extra police resources.

“This means more body worn video cameras, more police patrol vehicles, introducing integrated load-bearing ballistic vests and more QLiTE iPads – all fully funded by the Palaszczuk Government,” Mr Brown said.

“Unlike the previous LNP Government, the Palaszczuk Government backs our frontline police. And when we promise, we deliver. 

“No one wants to see a return to the former LNP regime when police were forced to fund their own body worn cameras out of their own pockets. 

“It was an LNP regime that sacked more than 300 police personnel, cut vital police services, cut training, cut funding for police cars and computers, and stopped monitoring more than 1,700 child sex offenders,” Mr Brown said.

MPs Don Brown and Kim Richards with Police Minister Mark Ryan. Image: Redland City Bulletin

MPs Don Brown and Kim Richards with Police Minister Mark Ryan. Image: Redland City Bulletin

This fully funded record roll-out of new police resources includes:

  • 5,000 additional QLiTE iPads for frontline police officers (takes the total fleet size to 12,000);

  • 250 additional police patrol vehicles (takes the total fleet size to almost 3,000);

  • 4,500 additional body worn video cameras to bring the total fleet to 12,000 – one of the largest in the world; and

  • in a first for police, 12,000 new integrated load bearing ballistic vests to protect police while they protect the community.



“This is a record $77 million investment in the 12,000-plus Queensland police who work hard, day and night, to keep communities safe in every corner of the State.

Importantly, these vital tools of the trade for police officers across Queensland are fully funded. 

The LNP has a poor track record when it comes to keeping promises to police.

It’s always important to remember that it’s not what they say, it’s what they’ll do.

And the LNP will do exactly what they did last time they were in government. 

They will sack police. They will cut police resources. They will cut police training. 

How else will they fund the $24 billion they have notched up in unfunded election commitments so far?

As the President of the Police Union himself has said: “Police have been badly burnt by previous sneaky governments who made commitments and didn’t fund them properly”.

The Palaszczuk Government’s record shows that we can be trusted when it comes to delivering more police and more police resources,” Mr Brown said.

High-tech attack on hoons

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 Police will have new high-tech cameras, including an expanded fleet of drones to crackdown on hoons.

The new technology will add to the existing network of thousands of traffic cameras across the state.

The assault on hooning will make it much easier for police to catch hoons and to take strong action against them.

Police will have high-tech night vision capable cameras that can be deployed covertly, operated by an officer, or deployed on a drone.

Complementing the new camera technology the Government is looking to expand existing laws, including shifting the onus of proof onto the vehicle owner.

This means if the owner claims they weren’t driving the vehicle at the time of the offence, it will be up to them to prove it.

Putting the onus on the owner, would allow police to take greater advantage of the  hooning footage captured by CCTV cameras.

These changes will provide police with enhanced flexibility when dealing with gatherings of hoons.

For example, if dozens of cars were hooning in a particular location, police would be able to use these new hi-tech cameras to capture images of all the vehicles.

The high-resolution images would allow police to identify each vehicle, and then proceed to take action against the registered owner, unless the owner could demonstrate they weren’t driving at the time.

The expanded laws would cover a wider range of traffic offences caught on camera.

An offender would no longer be able to avoid prosecution by simply masking their identities and denying they had been behind the wheel.

These changes are supported by the Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Police Union.

Drivers identified hooning in stolen vehicles would face theft and hooning charges.

These tough new tactics will complement the already harshest hoon penalties in the nation and will add to the arsenal of enforcement measures already being used by police to target hooning on Queensland’s roads:

  • Intelligence-driven enforcement with covert patrols

  • Monitoring of all forms of social media to take swift action

  • Hoon Hotline 13HOON 

  • High-visibility patrols 

  • Dedicated Road Policing officers

  • POLAIR aerial surveillance

  • Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology 

  • Road safety camera trailers

  • Thousands of traffic cameras across the state

  • Police drone fleet

Penalties vary for different hooning offences. For example, driving in a way that makes unnecessary noise or smoke carries a maximum fine of 20 penalty units ($2669) while the most serious offences, such as careless driving—also known as driving without due care and attention—or street racing, carry a maximum fine of 40 penalty units ($5338) or 6 months in jail.

In addition, for specific offences classed as hooning—anti-social behaviour in a motor vehicle—police now have the power to impound, immobilise and confiscate the vehicle you were driving when you committed the offence.

An extra 2,025 police personnel in Queensland by 2025. Fully costed and fully funded.

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Member for Redlands Kim Richards and I joined Commissioner Katrina Carroll and Police Minister Mark Ryan MP to discuss our huge announcement of an extra 2025 Police personnel by 2025. It will means an extra 150 police for our division providing an extra 2,025 police personnel in Queensland by 2025 - fully costed, and fully funded.
Our $624 million investment will be the biggest increase in police resources Queensland has seen in 30 years and will see 1,450 more officers deployed on the frontline across our state.
We’re also providing 25 mobile police beats, to make sure our police can be where the community needs them.
Queensland is in a position to recover more quickly and support more jobs sooner than other states thanks to the efforts of Queenslanders, and of frontline services like the Queensland Police ServiceKim Richards Member for Redlands and I joined Commissioner Katrina Carroll and Police Minister Mark Ryan MP to discuss our huge announcement of an extra 2025 Police personnel by 2025. It will means an extra 150 police for our division. #DonDelivers

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