Community Safety and Engagement - Queensland Police Service ...

Key focus area—Civil emergencies
and major events
Security Planning and Coordination
Following the state election, machinery-of-government
changes announced on 26 March 2009 resulted in
responsibility for Security Planning and Coordination
being transferred from the Department of the Premier
and Cabinet to the Queensland Police Service.
As an interim arrangement Security Planning and
Coordination reports to the Deputy Commissioner
(Specialist Operations). Full integration of Security
Planning and Coordination services is currently under
review.
Together with the QPS Counter Terrorism Coordination
Unit (CTCU), security and counter-terrorism issues
throughout Queensland are coordinated by Security
Planning and Coordination.
Working collaboratively, Security Planning and
Coordination and CTCU liaise across all levels of
government and the private sector to improve
Queensland's capacity to prevent, respond to and
recover from potential terrorist activities.
In 2008–09 Security Planning and Coordination
supported the Government’s strategic-level management
of responses to a series of natural disasters and events
including the November 2008 storms in South East
Queensland, Tropical Cyclones Charlotte, Ellie and Hamish,
the South East Queensland rain event in May 2009 and
the ongoing Human Swine Influenza pandemic.
Security Planning and Coordination received the 2008
Department of the Premier and Cabinet Award for
Enhancing Governance Systems and Practice for its
State Crisis and Communication Centre information
system project.
Countering terrorism
Countering terrorism in Queensland requires
participation from all Government agencies, relevant
stakeholders and the community. In 2008-09 the QPS
continued to provide a lead role in counter-terrorism,
through participating in a range of State and Federal
Government initiatives which supported the sustained
development of our counter-terrorism capability.
These included national counter-terrorism activities
under the National Counter-Terrorism Committee
(NCTC), such as participation in the inaugural NCTC
Dignitary Protection Skills Enhancement course, held in
Sydney in May 2009. This advanced training initiative
under the National Counter Terrorism Plan, provided all
state and territory police jurisdictions and the
Australian Federal Police with an opportunity to
enhance the skills of their dignitary protection members
whilst further developing national capability and
jurisdictional interoperability. The QPS also participated
in the implementation of the Queensland Government
2008-2010 Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
QPS activities which are coordinated and supported by
the Counter-Terrorism Strategic Policy Branch include:
• the QPS Counter-Terrorism Liaison Officer Program,
which provides liaison between the QPS and critical
infrastructure owners and operators. During 2008-
09 the Counter-Terrorism Strategic Policy Branch
trained 122 police and 5 civilian staff through the
Counter Terrorism Liaison Officer Course. These
officers are responsible for liaising with owners or
operators of priority sites such as Suncorp Stadium
in Brisbane and Gold Coast theme parks
• the coordination of QPS participation in the Critical
Infrastructure, Mass Gatherings and Government
Asset Protection Programs
• supporting the Deputy Commissioner (Specialist
Operations) in his capacity as the QPS representative
on the National Counter-Terrorism Committee; Chair
of the National Investigations Support Capability
Coordination Sub-Committee; and co-Chair of the
Queensland Counter-Terrorism Committee.
Counter-terrorism exercises
Within Queensland, the QPS is responsible for Counter-
Terrorism Exercise Management and has established the
multi-agency Counter-Terrorism Training and Exercise
Management Committee which administers a drill-style
exercise program. Funding is provided by the National
Counter-Terrorism Committee. During this reporting
period, the QPS played a major role in the national
counter terrorism exercise—Mercury 08 which was
completed in October 2008.
Mercury 08 primarily tested and evaluated information
management and decision making functions in
a terrorist situation, focusing on consequence
management arrangements at the strategic levels of
the Australian, Queensland and Western Australian
governments.
The Service continued to increase its counter terrorism
capability in the marine environment with a 9.5 metre
tactical response and patrol vessel allocated to Brisbane
Water Police, capable of being deployed throughout the
State. This vessel was delivered in October 2008.
An 8.5m tactical response vessel for Cairns is presently
being constructed with delivery expected in late 2009 to
further enhance counter terrorism capability within the
Northern and Far Northern Regions.
Output 1: Community Safety
and Engagement
With honour we serve 43