ONE of the biggest changes in policing over recent years has been in the area of new technology, says Acting Inspector Steve Hollands.
The police officer was speaking on behalf of Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart at the ninth annual lunch of the Redlands Branch of the Queensland Retired Police Association.
Acting Inspector Hollands said tablets used by police officers enabled them to do street checks in the field and activity reports from outside the station.
Thermal imagery technology was used on the police helicopter and improvements in forensics meant that DNA tests are returned within a couple of weeks, while the time frame was the same day for fingerprint jobs.
“Our ability to go out and catch offenders has greatly improved,” he said.
Acting Inspector Hollands spoke about the responsibilities of the police for the Commonwealth Games to be held in April next year.
Most venues are on the Gold Coast, but nearer the Redlands the velodrome at Chandler and the shooting range at Belmont will also host events.
The lunch was attended by nearly 100 retired police officers and their guests, among them members of QRPA branches at Logan-Beenleigh, Ipswich, Gympie, Gold Coast and Toowoomba.
QRPA state president Greg Early said there were 16 branches of the association in Queensland and one in Tasmania.