The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has refused a recommendation to implement diversity quotas for each rank, in response to a report aimed at improving equality in the force.
The QPS accepted some recommendations but did reject several others.
In one instance, the QHRC report, “Strengthening the Service: Independent Review of Workplace Equality in the Queensland Police Service,” recommended that the:
“QPS should establish minimum diversity targets for QPS members at each rank, including for sworn members in the Executive Leadership Team. In reporting on and communicating these targets, QPS should make clear that these targets are a minimum requirement and that QPS’s approach to increasing diversity should be aspirational. These targets should be regularly reviewed and progressively increased to achieve QPS’s objective of workplace equality.”
The recommendation was marked as declined.
The QPS also declined a recommendation in the report under the category of, “Make leadership support visible,” which involves taking “significant steps towards diversity targets for sworn Executive Leadership Team members.”
Under another section titled, “Hold leaders to account for change,” the report recommended that the QPS should identify and implement performance indicators that prioritise diversity and inclusion for individual Executive Leadership Team members within nine months.
Within that recommendation, the QPS was also urged to consult with “diverse members” to identify preferred performance indicators.
What Recommendations Did it Accept?
The service did, however, accept a number of recommendations, such as agreeing to consider the executive director for the First Nations Division as a board member by virtue.The QPS has also agreed to review factors around gender pay gaps, barriers to flexible working arrangements, and access to leave for reasons such as reproductive health and cultural purposes.
In a statement, the QPS said that where recommendations were unable to be progressed, the proposed work was either considered out of scope, the intent could be delivered through other means, or there were significant impediments to making progress.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Kelly led the QPS’s involvement in the review.
“While I am proud of the work that our officers and members conduct daily, we can always strive to be a better organisation than we were the day before,” he said in a statement.
“While culture change takes time, every step we take drives us closer to building a safer, more inclusive police service that Queenslanders can trust and be proud of.”
