Qld top cop urges DV reform

Queensland's police commissioner admits officers' responses to domestic violence are hampered by cumbersome and laborious procedures.

Queensland's shocking spate of domestic violence incidents has prompted the police commissioner to hold discussions with the government on how to improve "cumbersome" and "laborious" procedures.

Last week, two women and a six-year-old girl died as a result of domestic violence, while a third woman was lucky to escape after being attacked with a machete.

One of those women, 24-year-old Tara Brown, was farewelled at a public funeral on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

Ms Brown had previously visited a police station to seek help on how to leave her partner, ex-Bandido bikie Lionel Patea, also 24.

One week after leaving the station, she died a horrific death when Patea allegedly ran her off the road before bashing her while she was stuck in her car.

The initial police response is now under investigation.

Patea was on a two-year DV order due to expire in December, but there were no breaches.

"Our processes are somewhat cumbersome for our people and there's no doubt about that," Police Commissioner Ian Stewart told reporters on the Gold Coast.

Laborious procedural issues, such as persuading an on-call magistrate to grant a temporary protection order in the middle of the night, held back responses.

In other states, police can issue orders, and Mr Stewart is keen to see Queensland follow suit.

"That alone will cut down the amount of time our officers are doing paperwork as opposed to supporting the vulnerable woman who's come in."

But anyone who believed police were dragging their heels on domestic violence was not familiar with statistics, Mr Stewart said.

He pointed to a 10 per cent increase in the number of applications taken out by officers in one financial year alone.

Union president Ian Leavers said Queensland needed to reduce the bureaucratic red tape around the issue.

"We know we can be more efficient and effective and protect Queenslanders from domestic violence, but you've got to trust the police to do the job," he said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has promised to fast-track a raft of recommendations from a domestic violence report that was handed to the government in February.

The government has also flagged legislative changes to respond to the spate of incidents, including offering victims special witness status and setting up a special Domestic Violence Death Review Board.


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Source: AAP


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