![Queensland police are getting bogged down in administration which is taking them off the frontline. Queensland police are getting bogged down in administration which is taking them off the frontline.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/54520934-2e3d-4243-89fd-0dd18fbfcb8c.jpg/r0_0_800_600_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Queensland police are bogged down in administrative tasks keeping them from frontline crime-fighting, according to a major unpublished review.
And as officers deal with the mounting paperwork, the state's rate of reported crimes has climbed.
The worrying findings are among a series contained in an unreleased independent review of the Queensland Police Service, completed in December 2019 and obtained by AAP.
"There are a range of issues relating to existing policies and processes which are symptomatic of inefficiencies in the system and are impacting the ability of divisions, districts and regions to best meet the needs of the community," it reveals.
Moreover, there are concerns for the mental health of officers left feeling isolated in regional commands.
The review, conducted by GSA Management Consulting at the request of Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll, recommended sweeping changes to operational processes and a reduction in the number of police commands to cope with the "significant challenges".
The study highlighted the shedding of 500 civilian staff between 2011 and 2013 as a factor that "significantly contributed" to the amount of administrative and support work done by frontline officers.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said on Saturday the staffing cuts were instituted by the previous LNP government and had created long-standing issues.
"The Palaszczuk government has painstakingly worked to right all those wrongs," he told AAP.
"The government has delivered record police budgets, now 20 per cent higher than the LNP's. The government has delivered 600 extra police officers and there are more coming."
Shadow Minister for Police Dan Purdie said it was "more than embarrassing" the government was still blaming the LNP.
"It has been five years, two police ministers and two police commissioners and Labor still won't accept responsibility for its soft on crime approach," he said.
"It says everything about the Palaszczuk government that this review hasn't been released or actioned even though it was completed nearly one year ago."
The report also revealed calls to police surged almost 50 per cent in the four years to 2019 but the most frequent were not about crimes.
Many related to social issues including mental health welfare checks and early interventions in domestic situations.
Between 2014/15 and 2018/19 there was a 10 per cent rise in reported crime, including a 24 per cent jump in crimes against people and a 28 per cent leap in property crime.
Over the same period, the number of resolved crimes fell seven per cent.
In 2018/2019, 43 per cent of calls to Policelink went without response, with the Wide Bay-Burnett police district including Bundaberg, Gympie and Cherbourg having the lowest response rate - about two in every three calls.
Policelink fielded 145,000 phone calls, emails and online requests per month in 2019.
The state's regional commands in particular are dealing with a rising volume of calls, which are growing more complex, the review noted.
"The move to a central function model appears to have exacerbated the feeling of isolation from the service overall from those based outside SEQ."
Rising demands are putting strain on frontline officers which could impact their mental health, the report concluded, warning the current situation is "acute" as police suffer higher rates of psychological distress, mental health conditions and suicidal thinking than the general population.
Review author Neil Greenfield made 22 recommendations, including reducing the number of police commands from nine to six or seven, and reassessing the efficiency of police districts in delivering services.
His suggestions include redesigning Policelink and contact centres to better cope with demand and optimise engagement.
"These recommendations, if appropriately implemented, will drive a level of improvement across the organisation and critically, in service delivery efficiency and effectiveness," Mr Green wrote.
"However, it is my professional opinion that these recommendations alone will not be sufficient to enable QPS to respond to all significant demand placed on the organisation."
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Australian Associated Press