Palaszczuk walks away from election police promise

Explosive police leaks today reveal it would take the Palaszczuk Labor Government 32 years to deliver on their police numbers promise, as the Premier sensationally walks away from her election pledge.

The damning revelation comes in the wake of a youth crime epidemic and blows up the Premier’s 2020 election commitment to deliver an extra 1450 police officers, above retirements, resignations and other attrition, by 2025.

The police leaks also revealed today that 11 divisions across Queensland now have fewer fulltime, frontline police on the beat than they did in 2015, including Toowoomba which now has a staggering 25 fewer officers.

Shadow Minister for Police and Corrective Services Dale Last said Queenslanders now know that the Premier’s pledge was not worth the paper it was written on, as she had walked away from her promise.

“In 2020 the Palaszczuk Labor Government told Queenslanders they would keep them safe with more police on our streets, but we now know they’ve failed, employing a minuscule 92 of 1450 police officers promised,” Mr Last said.

“We are in the middle of a youth crime epidemic and this government is too busy fudging figures to actually get boots on the ground to keep Queenslanders safe.

“People are concerned about having their homes broken into, their cars stolen and being attacked while out in the community.

“It’s no wonder that crime is skyrocketing, and people no longer feel safe when we find out that we’ve had even fewer hardworking men and women in blue on our streets.

“Just last week the Minister stood in front of the people of Toowoomba and with a straight face told them that the Palaszczuk Government has increased police strength in their town.

“Now we know that, in fact, the thin blue line is stretched thinner, with 25 fewer police officers on Toowoomba streets.”

Mr Last said the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s unfilled and undelivered “approved positions” were cold comfort to Queenslanders who had been victims of youth crime.

“We all know that unfilled, ‘approved positions’ are nothing more than numbers in a spreadsheet, they are not police on the beat keeping Queensland safe,” he said.

“Clearly Queensland police are so frustrated with the Palaszczuk Labor Government, their watered-down youth crime laws, and their weakened drug laws, that they’re now defying the Minister to tell Queenslanders the truth about what’s going on.

“Queenslanders deserve better.”

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