Damning report finds police downplayed crime stats

The Queensland auditor-general released a report on Wednesday which found that Gold Coast police have been attempting to make crime statistics look better by using tactics to get victims to withdraw complaints. 

Focusing on the Gold Coast, the report found that while there were no allegations of corruption, officers had an unhealthy focus on hitting performance targets.

Tactics they employed included sending letters that required a response from victims within seven days, and if no response was received the presumption would be made that no further action was to be taken and the complaint withdrawn. 

Similarly, officers apparently maintained a policy where if three attempts to contact a victim were unsuccessful, the complaint would be marked as withdrawn. 

Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart is denying the accusations that officers are deliberately manipulating crime statistics, saying it is “simply not correct”.

“I want to be very clear – nothing could be further from the truth,” Stewart said in a statement released today.

“Yes – the audit found several deficiencies but they are procedural and process anomalies linked directly to the complexity of the environment our officers work in every day. An environment that is rapidly changing.”

He also stressed that the incorrectly classified reports were not deliberately misclassified. 

“We have some work to do to improve our data processes.”

Finally, he assured that the service “strives at all times to act with the utmost integrity and will always be open and transparent”.

Are you worried that crime statistics in your area may not actually reflect true crime rates?