How crime matters come to us
Our power to investigate major crime (which includes organised crime, networked paedophilia, and other serious crime such as murder, arson and terrorism) is based on a system of ‘general’ and ’specific’ referrals from the Crime Reference Committee, a statutory body established under the Crime and Misconduct Act.
Members of this committee are:
- the CMC Assistant Commissioner, Crime (the Chair)
- the CMC Chairperson
- the Commissioner of Police
- the Commissioner for Children and Young People and Child Guardian
- the chairperson of the Australian Crime Commission
- two community representatives.
General referrals
A system of 'general referrals' enables us to investigate specific areas of major crime without the need for a referral from the committee.
This means we can rapidly respond to requests from the Queensland Police Service and other law enforcement agencies for use of our special investigative powers when investigations using the conventional methods ordinarily available to them are unlikely to gain enough evidence to secure convictions. It also enables us to investigate matters identified through our own target development and intelligence networks.
Areas covered by general referrals include:
- suspected criminal activity related to established criminal networks and outlaw motorcycle gangs, money laundering or actual or suspected terrorism
- paedophilia — specifically extra-familial offending by networked or serial offenders, and use of the internet to commit offences against children
- suspected weapons-related offences, including suspected organised criminal activity involving unlawful possession, use, supply, trafficking in, manufacture and modification of weapons
- violent crimes involving vulnerable victims — specifically children under 16, elderly people aged over 70 and people with a physical disability or mental impairment.
Specific referrals
The Crime Reference Committee also grants specific referrals on a case-by-case basis for matters not covered by a general referral, provided that a police investigation has not been, and is not likely to be, effective using the powers ordinarily available to them, and where such an investigation is in the public interest.
The Committee may refer such matters to us:
- at the request of the Commissioner of Police
- at the request of the CMC Assistant Commissioner, Crime
- on its own initiative.
Read more about our powers and major crime.
