Royal Commission into Police shootings in Queensland

The call for a Royal Commission into Police shootings in Queensland by Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers is supported by the QCCL.

But QCCL Vice‑President (Terry O’Gorman) said the proposed Inquiry should not just focus on mental health policy and funding and related issues.

“Any Inquiry should concentrate heavily on the 23 Police shootings in Queensland from 2021 to 2024 to ascertain why Police shootings in Queensland are among the highest in the nation and what can be done to significantly reduce the high numbers of Police gun use in Queensland”, Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O’Gorman said that Queensland Police accountability for every Police shooting has to be dramatically improved.

“After every shooting, including fatal incidents, Queensland Police issue a stock standard response that ‘the Ethical Standards Command are investigating the shooting in conjunction with CCC oversight’ and that is the last that is heard of a particular Police Shooting incident.  It disappears from media coverage and rarely is there any public report issued”, Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O’Gorman noted that in 2015 the Queensland Coroner conducted a Hearing into five Police shootings between August 2013 and December 2014 but there has been no review by the Coroner or the CCC since then of each subsequent Police shooting and whether the shooting could have been avoided.

“The proposed Inquiry needs to examine whether the consistent law and order push for greater Police numbers in Queensland is producing less well trained Police in dealing with confrontations involving a mixture of bladed weapons and people with mental health issues”, Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O’Gorman said that the Inquiry also needs to decide whether the Police Glock is overused and the Taser underused. 

“The proposed Inquiry should involve policing experts (not just serving Police Officers) from around Australia and the UK to ensure the rapidly escalating rate of Queensland Police shootings is brought down to much smaller numbers”, Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O’Gorman said the Police shootings not only impact on the Police involved but also cause anguish and heartbreak for the families and relatives and friends of the person shot.

Mr O’Gorman said that the QCCL called for an examination of underlying patterns in Police shootings 12 months ago but the call was not taken up.[1]

[1] See “Data shows Queensland Police shot more people in 2022 than Police in the rest of Australia combined” – ABC 7.30 Report Stephanie Zillman 04/08/2023