Review into Queensland police watch houses to probe 'end-to-end systemic issues'
Watch houses across the state will come under scrutiny after the announcement of a review by Queensland police. It comes amid growing pressure on the state's 63 facilities with soaring occupancy rates and complaints regarding the treatment of detained children.
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00:00They're designed to detain adults for up to three days, but every night across Queensland,
00:08dozens of children are sleeping in watch houses, some for extended periods of time.
00:14In the wake of growing complaints, the Queensland Police Commissioner says there will be a wide-ranging
00:19review.
00:20I acknowledge there are end-to-end systemic issues in our watch houses and the whole system
00:26is under significant pressure.
00:27It will focus on the design and operation of watch houses, as well as staffing levels
00:33and training.
00:34Body-worn cameras and online live reporting will begin this week to increase transparency.
00:41It comes after an ABC 7.30 program in July revealed the brutal treatment of a teenage
00:47boy at the Richlands Watch House.
00:50Whilst that matter has been investigated from a disciplinary point of view and concluded,
00:54I have asked further work to be done in terms of the system.
00:58So how that watch house operates, how we train our people, what happens in terms of how we
01:03deal with these really challenging people that are in custody.
01:06Advocacy groups have welcomed the review, but say multiple factors still need to be
01:11considered.
01:12There are large systemic issues contributing to this problem.
01:15The under-resourcing of courts which are leading to high remand numbers in the detention centres
01:20is causing the overflow into watch houses.
01:23Sentiments echoed by the State's Human Rights Commissioner, who cautioned the review not
01:28to focus on the development of new facilities, but rather invest in police training, processes
01:34and diversionary facilities.
01:36The Police Commissioner says nothing will be off the table in this internal investigation.
01:42And in some instances, our people have got it wrong.
01:45And if it were up to him, there'd be no children in community watch houses, but community safety
01:51is paramount.
01:53When they're overcrowded, it puts the people who are in our care at risk.
01:57It puts the police officers at risk and something needs to be done.
02:01When the review will be finalised is not yet known.