Police Union crowing - Premier must act

The Queensland Civil Liberties Council has called on the Premier to resolve the absurd position concerning yesterday’s decision by Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll restoring the right of Queensland Police to use a controversial chokehold on people being arrested where that chokehold has been linked to a number of deaths, the most recent being in 2021 of a 27 year old Aboriginal man.

Queensland Civil Liberties Council Vice-President Terry O’Gorman said that mid last month Commissioner Carroll said the chokehold/stranglehold technique known as Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint was to be discontinued as a use of force option for all Queensland Police officers effective immediately[1].

“Only three days before Commissioner Carroll announced the ban Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk said she was concerned that Queensland is the only State using the chokehold during arrests”, Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O’Gorman said that however yesterday under pressure from the Police Union Commissioner Carroll said that while she had originally directed LVNR no longer be a use of force option it could now be used in some situations[2].

Yesterday a ‘crowing’ Mr Levers, President of the Queensland Police Union, said “we know we had to keep police safe even if the Commissioner wasn’t (sic)…while last night a spokesman for the Commissioner said LVNR was removed in April and a direction to cease the use of the technique remained.  The spokesman said there had been no backflip and no change”[3].

“The Premier has to decide who is running the QPS, the Commissioner or the Police Union”, Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O’Gorman said if all other States had banned the chokehold Queensland should do the same particularly as it has led to a number of unnecessary civilian deaths in Queensland after the ban had been completely outlawed in every other State.

“The Civil Liberties Council calls on the Premier to intervene in this farcical controversy and bring Queensland in line with the rest of the country and outlaw police using the fatal stranglehold completely in absolutely all cases”, Mr O’Gorman said.

[1] See The Australian 15/04/2023 “Chokehold ban effective immediately”.

[2] See Courier Mail 16/05/2023 “Commissioner forced to restore chokehold”.

[3] See Courier Mail 16/05/2023 “Chokehold ban effective immediately”.