The Queensland police commissioner says he acknowledges “end-to-end systemic issues” in police watch houses after revelations about the “abominable” treatment of children, conditions likened to “torture” and allegations of misconduct.
Steve Gollschewski on Tuesday announced a broad-ranging review into the state’s watch houses, which he said were “under significant pressure”.
Police watch houses are holding cells designed to hold violent, dangerous and drug-affected adults for short periods. In Queensland children can be held in them indefinitely – sometimes for several weeks – due to overcrowding in the youth detention system.
An investigation by Guardian Australia and SBS’s The Feed revealed footage showing children placed in isolation cells in watch houses, including a 13-year-old girl with a severe intellectual disability. An ABC report also detailed an allegation of police brutality.
Gollschewski said the review would not look into whether these facilities were appropriate to hold children for long periods but the ability of the police “to deliver a system under current arrangements”.
It would look into whether facilities, including some watch houses that were more than 50 years old, were fit for purpose given modern pressures on the custody system.
The review will also assess at the training and skills of the watch house workforce – made up of sworn police officers and specialist watch house officers. Advocates have raised concerns that police were not equipped to care for children with complex needs, including intellectual disabilities, held in watch houses on remand.
“[The review] includes all facilities, how we staff them, how we train our staff, and the conduct within those watch houses, and in particular the treatment of those in custody,” Gollshewski said.
Police will also now mandate that officers use body-worn cameras, and publish live data showing the number of children and adults in watch houses.
The number of complaints about police in watch houses has increased in the past year, Gollschewski said.
“Clearly we’re very concerned [about those complaints],” he said. “And in some instances our people have got it wrong.”
Queensland locks up more children than most other states combined. Gollschewski said numbers of people in custody had been increasing and that “the demand placed on our watch houses will continue to intensify”.
“I acknowledge there are end-to-end systemic issues in our watch houses and the whole system is under significant pressure,” he said.
“I expect our people to always do their best and it’s my job to ensure they have the right training and equipment, operational support and facilities.”
The deputy commissioner Cameron Harsley said the review would look at the sorts of people held in watch houses, that there was a “different cohort” in lockups compared to when many watch houses were designed, including those who are violent, drug-affected or have complex mental health issues.
Advocates say it is inappropriate to hold children alongside adults in those circumstances.
Gollshewski said: “We’d rather have no children in watch houses. But obviously … there’s a community safety consideration.
“What we want to do is move them out of there as quickly as they possibly can.”
