Queensland will no longer measure or report on perceptions of police integrity, with yesterday’s State Budget listing this crucial information as a “discontinued measure” from 2026.
It comes as a suspended Queensland Police officer was granted bail for a long list of serious charges including stalking.
The Greens are calling on the State Government to reinstate the measurement of public perceptions of police, and get moving on the establishment of a civilian-led independent police integrity unit, as recommended by the 2022 Commission of Inquiry into Qld Police Responses to Domestic and Family Violence.
Greens MP for Maiwar Michael Berkman:
“We give police an extraordinary amount of power, so we need to properly scrutinise how that power is used.
“Public confidence to report domestic and family violence to police has fallen to the lowest rate since the measure was introduced - and Crisafulli’s solution is to just stop asking.
“Problems don’t go away just because you stop talking about them.
“We need a civilian-led independent integrity unit, like the Commission of Inquiry into police responses to DFV recommended. Both Labor and the LNP have failed to implement that recommendation. Every moment it’s delayed further undermines public trust in police.
“Cops are still allowed to investigate themselves - no wonder people don’t trust the system when you have that blatant conflict of interest.
“Police get a gun, they get access to people’s personal information, they get specific rights to use force against people and to take away their liberty. You can’t just keep expanding those powers without any transparency or accountability.”
Background
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Page 4 of the Queensland Police Service Delivery Statement states that perceptions of police integrity, including public confidence to contact the police to report domestic and family violence, are “discontinued measures” from 2026.
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The explanatory notes state that this is as a result of the contract for the National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing (NSCSP) not being continued, but other states conduct their own research on the measures, including NSW via BOCSAR and Victoria through its annual survey. Queensland used to conduct its own survey on community experiences with police, which has been discontinued.
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Public perceptions of police integrity, including honesty, professionalism and fairness, have consistently fallen well below targets. Public confidence to contact the police to report domestic and family violence hit 61% in 2025/26, the lowest since the measure was introduced in 2023.
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The 2022 Commission of Inquiry into Qld Police Responses to Domestic and Family Violence recommended an independent police integrity unit to investigate all complaints against police be established within 18 months. The Labor Government sought to water down the recommendation, and in 2025, the Government abolished the Office of the Independent Implementation Supervisor which was reporting on implementation progress.