The report found a widespread culture of racism and misogyny within the police force had hampered its ability to help domestic violence victims and survivors.Credit:Robert Shakespeare
The disciplinary measure – essentially a talking-to by a superior – wasintroduced in 2019 after pressure from the police union and a 2015 election commitment from the Palaszczuk government.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll,whose lack of understanding of the local management resolution process was found to reflect “poorly” on her leadership,is among thosewho have now agreed it is “broken”.
Despite this,none of the 77 recommendations made by the final report from the inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic and family violence –released on Monday – call for it to be scrapped.
Instead,the report recommends that an independent Police Integrity Unit be running within 18 months inside the Crime and Corruption Commission to deal with all complaints about police.
Funding questions and further details will be worked out with help from a reform teamled by Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski,alongside overlapping government work responding to therecent Coaldrake andFitzgerald reports.
But even as it stands,the approach would be a “major shift away from the common and entirely inadequate practice of police investigating police”,University of the Sunshine Coast criminology professor Tim Prenzler toldBrisbane Times.