Russell Island police recruitment to begin in new year

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the extra officers last month during a cabinet visit to the Redlands.

Her announcement followed a review of staffing by QPS and a coronial inquest into the death of a teenage boy on the island’s main thoroughfare in 2014.

A QPS spokesperson said accommodation was being sought on the island for the extra officers. Housing would likely be secured early next year.

Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said he welcomed Ms Palaszczuk’s announcement in November but believed the officers’ recruitment needed to be fast-tracked and accommodation organised without delay.

He said the deployment of officers from other locations to help policing Russell Island in the interim was not ideal.

“ ... Taking officers away from their duties at other locations is not ideal if we are to have prompt response times and sufficient personnel on hand to deal with incidents and to undertake routine policing matters,” he said.

Mr Robinson said he also wanted police numbers to be boosted on Macleay Island.

"The time has come when both Russell and Macleay island police need to be adequately resourced in their own right so I am eagerly awaiting similar advice of additional staffing for Macleay,” he said.

"The LNP has been calling for more police to be stationed on both Russell and Macleay Islands for some time now.  It is our belief that the numbers boost needs to become operational sooner rather than later.

“The work of former Redlands MP and SMBI Chamber of Commerce president Matt McEachan to highlight this need has been significant, together with (Opposition police spokesman) Trevor Watts who visited the SMBIs in 2018 to look at the under-policing issue.”

The QPS spokesperson said the service had been tasking crews to support policing on Russell Island during the day until the extra officers arrived.

“This was particularly evident during the recent Stradbroke Island fire event where several crews over a protracted period were working on Russell Island and other Southern Moreton Bay Islands to support community safety,” the spokesperson said.

Four detectives based at Redland Bay police station were also helping police at the island. The investigation branch was set up in November to support policing across Redland Bay, Victoria Point, Thornlands and Russell, Macleay, Karragarra, Lamb and Coochiemudlo islands.

“Four detectives (are) now working at Redland Bay police station to further support policing and enhance community safety in the investigation of serious and other crime,” the spokesperson said.