Making our communities safer
COMMUNITY SAFETY PLAN FOR QUEENSLAND
To address community safety concerns, the government unveiled the Community Safety Plan for Queensland on 30 April 2024 which includes an extra $1.28 billion over 5 years for community safety measures across 5 key pillars: supporting victims; delivering for our frontline; detaining offenders; intervening when people offend; and preventing crime before it occurs.
The government will deliver on these pillars though the introduction of new legislative reforms and major investment in programs and systems that will help build safer communities.
Placing an increased focus on domestic, family, and sexual violence, safety for women and young offenders, the plan takes a whole-of-government approach that brings together education, health, sport, housing, community services, domestic violence and child protection services.
The plan builds on the successful measures that have helped to deliver a reduction in overall offences in the first quarter of 2024, with new investment and expanded initiatives. It also charts the way forward on implementing important reform to the criminal justice system, and deliver laws that empower frontline officers and the courts to protect Queensland communities.
For more information about Community Safety Plan for Queensland, refer to the website at www.qld.gov.au/communitysafety.
Supporting victims
As part of the Plan, the government is investing $52.3 million to provide more resources and support for the victims of crime, their families and communities through key initiatives such as:
- $16 million to continue and expand the Victims of Crime Community Response Program that provides immediate round-the-clock support to victims of crime
- $15.6 million to increase the capacity of Victims Assist Queensland to process financial assistance applications
- $2.8 million to enhance the Victim Liaison Service that connects victims and their families with the prosecution while their case is proceeding through court.
The government is committed to listening to community feedback and incorporating expert advice to reform the criminal justice system and improve support for victims and victim-survivors. This is supported by independent bodies such as the Victims’ Commissioner, Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council, and the Independent Ministerial Advisory Council.
Delivering for our frontline
Building on the government’s commitment in 2020 to invest in community safety through increased police personnel, this Plan commits to increased frontline officers and ensures they are equipped to keep Queenslanders safe:
- 900 additional police personnel to join the over 18,000-strong police presence in Queensland
- additional equipment such as 3,000 wands and 1,000 state-of-the-art tasers for detection and response
- response helicopters to service Far North Queensland and Wide Bay/ Sunshine Coast, and increased drone capability in priority regions across Queensland
- $48 million to upgrade police stations in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.
The government has also committed to a permanent 20 per cent uplift in funding to the state funded domestic, family and sexual violence service providers across Queensland, continuing to improve women’s safety.
Detaining offenders
When crime does occur, Queensland needs empowered police and courts, strong laws, and prison infrastructure to keep the community safe. The government is committing $261.4 million to deliver a therapeutic operational model at the Woodford Youth Detention Centre, to ensure young people detained can access rehabilitation programs and support to break the cycle of re-offending. This is in addition to $149.2 million approved for the Wacol Youth Remand Centre, scheduled to be commissioned in late 2024. The Government is also delivering stronger laws to break the cycle of offending, such as the Strengthening Community Safety Act 2023 to support community safety.
Intervening when people offend
The government understands that intervention is crucial in getting at-risk offenders back on track. Evidence-based interventions will be delivered by targeting the risk factors of re-offending particularly among young people, with partnerships across our community including non-government organisations critical to the success of these programs.
The Plan will build on existing youth justice reform by trialling new programs and expanding those programs that work, as the government recognises that the causes of offending are complex. Through the Better Care Together Plan, the government has invested significantly in mental health, alcohol and drug services. However, more needs to be done, which is why part of the Community Safety Plan for Queensland includes:
- $13.6 million to expand the Youth Co-Responder teams in Cairns, the Gold Coast and South Brisbane and additional teams in Sunshine Coast and South West
- $6 million to non-government organisations to provide after-hours support for young people.
Preventing crime before it occurs
The Plan tackles the root causes of crime through investing in early intervention programs, partnering with communities to improve security and supporting families to ensure children stay on the right track:
- $15 million for a new Police-Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) in Caloundra and $2 million to upgrade PCYC Redcliffe in recognition of the work of PCYCs in youth development
- $5 million in a new Local Government Community Safety Fund for communities in priority areas across Queensland to install CCTV systems and other community safety measures
- almost $40 million to extend the Helping Seniors Secure their Homes trial until the end of 2024, which supports eligible seniors to install security related measures in their homes
- $3.2 million to boost support for community groups such as the Neighbourhood Watch, Queensland Homicide Victims’ Group, Crime Stoppers and Stop the Coward Punch.
KEEPING QUEENSLANDERS SAFE
Strengthening Queensland’s response to domestic, family and sexual violence
Studies show that more than 50 per cent of young people in the youth justice system were impacted by domestic and family violence and most recently, more than half of reported assaults were domestic and family violence related. This means tackling domestic, family and sexual violence at its roots will have a positive impact on crime rates.
Since 2015, the government has invested more than $1.9 billion in funding to fight domestic, family and sexual violence in Queensland, including:
- $588 million package in response to recommendations from the two Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce’s reports
- $100 million in response to the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Queensland Police Services’ responses to domestic and family violence.
Funding of $154.4 million over 4 years and $38.4 million per annum ongoing, has been committed for a recurrent 20 per cent uplift for the state funded domestic, family and sexual violence sector. This ongoing funding is important to make sure Queensland’s domestic, family and sexual violence frontline workforce is resourced to respond to increased demand, programs are put on to address behaviours of persons using violence, and there are new programs to fill gaps in services delivered across the state.
In addition, the government is providing $14.8 million over 2 years in additional funding to Queensland Corrective Services to support domestic and family violence perpetrators’ rehabilitation and re-entry to the community.
Strengthening our systems
The government is investing to ensure the Queensland Corrective Services delivers a safe, secure, and efficient system to maximise the rehabilitation of offenders and reduce the risk of re-offending:
- $270.5 million services funding to meet increased cost of safely managing prison operations given current demand numbers
- $127.8 million services funding and $327.7 million in equity funding is provided to upgrade critical infrastructure and equipment and provide short to medium term prison capacity relief.
The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal will receive $73.1. million in funding over 5 years and $20.1 million per annum thereafter, which includes the provision of more decision makers and to provide critical mediation services for minor civil disputes.
The government continues to fund initiatives supporting frontline law enforcement activities:
- $33.4 million to continue and improve efficiency of court recording and transcription services
- $3.3 million to support courts and tribunals to implement proposed legislative reform and improve safety for vulnerable court users.
To deliver client-focussed frontline services, the government will invest:
- $13.2 million to build a workforce for a sustainable and family-centred coronial system that meets the needs of all Queenslanders
- $5.9 million in the Office of the Public Guardian to protect vulnerable Queensland children and adults with impaired decision making capacity
- $4.9 million to support existing circuit court sitting days and associated travel costs.
In addressing root causes of crime, the government will fund:
- $22 million in end-to-end case management to better identify prisoner needs and tailor program interventions and pre- and post-release strategies
- $3.3 million to extend the trial of the Culture Family Partnership services in Hervey Bay, Logan and South West Brisbane, as a result of positive early community response to the trial that began in 2023.
In addition, the government is providing ongoing support to non-government community organisations which provide services to keep Queenslanders safe, such as Surf Life Saving Queensland, Royal Life Saving Society, Emergency Services Cadets Program delivered by the Police-Citizens Youth Club, Neighbourhood Watch Queensland, Crime Stoppers Queensland, and Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group.
