What we did in 2010–11
Highlights and challenges in our work of investigating and fighting crime and misconduct, and in our oversight of a large and increasingly complex public sector, as reported in our Annual report 2010–11.
Highlights
Keeping Queensland’s institutions ethical and accountable
- We received a record 5124 complaints, containing 11 909 separate allegations of misconduct.
- We conducted 118 misconduct investigations relating to police, the public sector and local government.
- We held public hearings into allegations of misconduct by police officers on the Gold Coast as part of Operation Tesco.
- We surveyed members of the public about their experiences with and perceptions of the Queensland public sector, local government, the QPS and the CMC.
Contributing to a fair society
- We took an active role in the major government and public review of the police discipline system, to ensure that officers and citizens alike are treated fairly, consistently and swiftly in the resolution of complaints and disciplinary matters.
- Under proceeds of crime legislation, a former minister of the Crown will have to forfeit $595 980 to the state, and we obtained a proceeds assessment order to the value of $4.2m against a convicted outlaw motorcycle gang member.
- We initiated six reviews by QCAT for an independent assessment of decisions in police disciplinary matters.
Ensuring greater safety for citizens and children
- Our investigations into networked paedophilia resulted in 12 persons being charged with 122 offences relating to possession, distribution and production of child exploitation material.
- We maintained our 100 per cent success rate in protecting witnesses giving evidence in criminal trials.
- We seized drugs to an estimated street value of $1.6m, preventing them reaching our communities.
- Our report into the use of Tasers by Queensland police officers was tabled in parliament.
- We audited how the QPS dealt with allegations of inappropriate use of force in police–citizen interactions. We examined alternatives to high-speed police pursuits and the effectiveness of the ‘evade police’ offence. We monitored police understanding of legislation relating to the detention of juveniles. A review of the Prostitution Act 1999 found no connections between the licensed industry and organised crime.
Working smarter to deliver better, more responsive outcomes
- Operation Tesco, our investigation into police misconduct on the Gold Coast, created a new blueprint for investigations. A swift, constructive response from the Commissioner of Police enabled timely remedial action to be taken without waiting to formally close the investigation.
- Our cross-border collaboration and contribution to national networks in crime fighting, misconduct investigation and prevention, and witness protection saw us working smarter, not harder, for our outcomes.
- We took our work out into Queensland’s regions by holding misconduct workshops, closed crime hearings and presentations to regional investigators on witness protection.
- Improvements to our website resulted in a total of 727 517 downloads in 2010–11, an increase
of 78 per cent in our public accessibility.
Toward Q2: Tomorrow’s Queensland
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Our achievements in 2010–11 constitute an important contribution to the Queensland Government’s ambition of Fair — Supporting safe and caring communities.
See: Queensland Government's Towards Q2: Tommorrow's Queensland
Challenges
Many people felt let down by the outcome of the reviews and investigations into the events on Palm Island in November 2004. The government has advised that we will be granted new powers to prevent such a situation happening again, and we are working to strengthen our relationships with Indigenous communities.
The Queensland Government is currently reviewing the state’s police discipline system, which will have significant implications for how we deal with complaints about police.
We have a breadth of responsibilities and a finite resource allocation. The challenge is to strike the right balance in resourcing identified priorities, emerging risk areas and growing demands for our assistance from external agencies.
