FIFO POLICE SHOULD BE LAST RESORT

Media release

Shadow Police Minister, Bill Byrne, says fly-in-fly-out police officers should be the least preferred option for filling vacancies in rural and remote communities.

“Once again this issue shows the LNP came to office with no plan to back its promises despite telling voters at the last election it had all the answers,” Mr Byrne said.

“The LNP has promised 1300 extra police officers over three years — 1100 new recruits and 200 officers redeployed to the streets."

“Why now are there apparently so many vacancies in rural and regional communities?"

“The Minister needs to release a full list of communities affected by vacant police jobs so we can all see just what communities it is taking for granted."

“A system of FIFO police officers also makes a mockery of the Premier’s pledge to bolster the population of regional Queensland communities."

“The stationing of police officers and other government employees is a direct way that can happen and FIFO officers will do nothing to achieve it."

“If there are problems attracting officers to certain posts the government needs to look at added incentives.”

Mr Byrne said the preference should always be to have police officers as part of the fabric of a local community

“That applies in the metropolitan areas but most importantly in rural and regional communities where it is important that policemen and policewomen are part of their community,” he said.

“There are sometimes circumstances that may demand a short-term boost in numbers and then it might be appropriate to send in officers in a temporary basis, but a FIFO runs the risk of become a permanent feature and communities want more than just transient police officers,” he said.