Media Release
Shadow Police
Minister and Member for Rockhampton Bill Byrne says the LNP Government has
slashed the police overtime budget of the Central Region by $110,000 this
financial year.
Mr Byrne said
the Police Minister Jack Dempsey needed to explain the potential impacts of his
reduced overtime budget outlined in his answer to Question on Notice
699.
“The Minister
must explain if his reduced police overtime budget will mean fewer cops on the
beat late at night at peak crime times,” Mr Byrne said.
“It would be
typical of this dysfunctional LNP government that as we go into the busy
Christmas and New Year’s season Central Queensland communities will see fewer
police on the streets and there will be fewer arrests being made as a
result.
“A reduced
overtime budget could also result in police working unpaid overtime adding to
increased levels of stress and fatigue in the service.
“With less
overtime being paid it puts our police officers in an unenviable position
because they may need to respond to incidents towards the end of their shifts
but they won’t be paid for the time it will take to detain and process people
through the watch house.
“During the
busy party season this can only mean the Central Queensland streets will not be
as safe this summer,” he said.
Mr Byrne said
the Central Region police overtime budget had been slashed from $2.1 million in
2011-12 to $1.99 million in 2012-13.
Each district
within the Central Region had also had its overtime budget slashed this
financial year, including:
- Gladstone District from $509,000 down
to $483,000
- Longreach District from $117,000 down
to $110,000
- Mackay District from $683,000 down to
$648,000
- Rockhampton District from $790,000
down to $749,000
“The LNP
Government went to the election with a so-called ‘tough on crime’ stance but
now it seems no-one is immune from their slash and burn mentality,” Mr Byrne
said.
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