NCJ Number
147077
Date Published
1993
Length
153 pages
Annotation
The Queensland, Australia, Police Service (GPS) employs over 6,000 police officers and more than 1,000 civilians; efforts have been made since 1989 to reform the recruitment and education of police officers and ensure the effective management of human resources.
Abstract
Significant progress has been made by the QPS in implementing the recommendations of an inquiry on police recruitment and selection. A professional merit-based selection process system has been implemented, formal restrictions on female recruitment have been abolished, and strategies to recruit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are being introduced. Achievements in education and training have included the redesign of recruit training to include a tertiary component, the use of distance education for some inservice training, the redesign of a management course for commissioned officers, and the establishment of the Police Education and Advisory Council. Although several positive reforms have occurred, greater planning and more coordinated decisionmaking in police recruitment and selection procedures are necessary. Further, a review of the performance of police recruit education and training between 1991 and 1993 has revealed shortcomings that the Queensland Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) will need to address. Recommendations are offered that focus on effective human resource management, emerging issues in police recruitment and education, and the CJC's review and monitoring role. Supplemental information on the QPS review is contained in seven appendixes. Footnotes, tables, and figures