12 July, 2023
Calls for more police in Kilcoy
It is about time more police officers were posted to the Kilcoy Police Station according to State Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington.
Mrs Frecklington said it was completely unacceptable that the busy station had been left with only two officers stationed in the town.
“I have been contacted by members of the Kilcoy community, including the Kilcoy District Progress Alliance who are rightly concerned about the understaffing of Kilcoy Police Station,” she said.
“They feel strongly that the district is underserviced by Queensland Police given the level of need and the growing population.
“I have written to the Police Minister highlighting that in his own 2018 statement, the Kilcoy Police Station was built to accommodate an officer-in-charge, administration staff and four further operational officers.
“Since then, instead of an increase in staffing levels, there are now just two police officers at Kilcoy.
“These hard-working officers must service a large district including the Kilcoy township, surrounding rural localities and farming areas north to Jimna, east to Villeneuve, south to Somerset Dam and further west to Moore and Linville.”
Mrs Frecklington said the result was overworked officers, often working alone and working back-to-back shifts.
“I have requested an immediate consideration of an increase in police numbers at Kilcoy to at least four officers,” she said.
“It is typical however of the Palaszczuk Labor Government whose priorities are all wrong.
“We know that frontline police numbers are down 72 since 2020, yet the Premier’s marketing and media staff are up 98 since the last election. How can the Premier in her right mind think this is acceptable?
“Services have never been worse than under this Labor Government and it’s our regional communities that are feeling this more than ever.
“We need an increase in police numbers, not a decrease.”
