Statement from Commissioner Ian Stewart
I would like to acknowledge the excellent work that is being performed by officers, on the ground, right across Queensland in response to our mission to disrupt, dismantle and eliminate criminal motorcycle gangs.
The safety and well being of our officers is at the forefront of my mind
It has been every day since I became Commissioner, and it always will be.
Ensuring the safety and well being of officers is paramount and it is, like our determination and will to succeed in eliminating criminal motorcycle gangs, at the heart of our mission.
In the interests of keeping our police safe, and ensuring the peace of mind for their families, I am committed to continuing to provide the resources, including weapons and ballistic vests, that officers need to safely and effectively conduct their operational duties.
I have confidence that our police have been effectively trained and are equipped well for the tasks they are being asked to perform each and every day to keep the people of Queensland safe.
This includes operational activity targeting criminal motorcycle gangs.
Policing is a difficult, complex and at times, dangerous job.
The mission to disrupt, dismantle and eliminate criminal motorcycle gangs provides many challenges for us, however, we will continue to assess the threats and risk and react accordingly – as we have always done.
As an organisation, we continue to regularly review our resources, training and operational policing tactics to ensure we are adopting world’s best practice in the interest of the safety of all of our officers and, of course, the community.
We have been conducting these types of operations against criminal gangs over many years. This is not new.
Our frontline, specialist and investigating officers have been working together as teams and performing similar duties, efficiently and effectively over the past years.
What is new is the new legislation passed by government which allows us to specifically target the violent and criminal behaviour of these gangs.
It is important to reiterate that should any of our police feel they are being requested to perform duties or activities that they consider to be unsafe or unlawful, they have a duty to raise their concerns with senior officers.
I expect that at all times members of the Queensland Police will act lawfully and professionally when dealing with criminal motorcycle gangs and for any policing activity.
As the Commissioner of a modern and professional policing organisation, I will not support nor tolerate any unlawful activity but I will support each of our officers as they go about their role, doing their duty in a lawful and reasonable way.
We have been entrusted with keeping the community safe and this includes enforcing the law.
I simply ask that each of our police continue to do their best to keep Queensland safe in a way that minimises risk and makes everyone proud.
