Latest technology for police amid crime crackdown

Yahoo

9 hours ago

Police will be equipped with the latest technology as a state government maintains its crime crackdown in a milestone budget.
Queensland's Liberal National government will commit nearly $150 million to police in Tuesday's budget, with new tasers, tyre deflation devices, body-worn cameras and tactical first aid kits to be deployed.
"Things that can allow police to do their job and do them well," Premier David Crisafulli said on Monday.
The budget will mark the LNP government's first since 2014 after it campaigned hard on crime to claim election success last year.
The Queensland government's first eight months in power has introduced controversial "adult crime, adult time" legislation that ensures youth offenders are sentenced as adults on a range of charges.
Its upcoming budget will feature $147.9 million to deliver more than 6500 state-of-the-art tasers and upgrade body-worn cameras with radios and livestreaming capabilities.
The new tasers are key for the police force as they give officers four times the safe operating distance - around 14 metres - to deploy the device, Acting Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said.
Queensland Police were the first to use the latest Taser model outside the United States when the device was first introduced in 2023 but now thousands more officers will be equipped.
Other states and territories are also beginning to provide the latest model to their police force.
There have been 2000 situations in Queensland this year where officers considered using force, with 400 cases of tasers being deployed, Mr Chelepy said.
Police have used lethal force on five occasions, with one shooting death so far this year.
"The reason tasers are so effective is that they actually prevent police from having to use lethal force when we're responding to these critical incidents," Mr Chelepy said.
The budget will also feature funding to fulfil the government's election campaign promises, with $50 million over five years for four new or expanded Crime Prevention Schools.
Gold Coast-based "Men of Business" is the first school to operate, expanded to grades seven to 12 to help divert kids from a life of crime.
The government has committed to other schools in Townsville, Rockhampton and Ipswich.
North Queensland, including Townsville and Cairns which are often touted as the state's crime capitals, will also receive a "significant" boost to prevention in the budget, Mr Crisafulli said.
"It needs to be," he said.
"Those regions have been front row of the youth crime crisis, and those regions will get their fair share and a little bit more to deal with the crime crisis."
Other crime prevention initiatives including "Jack's Law", which was recently made permanent, will also receive budget funding to equip more officers with weapon-wanding devices.
The legislation, named after teen Jack Beasley who was fatally stabbed on the Gold Coast, allows police to wand for weapons in nightlife areas, public transport and supermarkets.
Treasurer David Janetzki will hand down the budget on Tuesday afternoon.