Overview

• A Queensland Police Service review delivered 34 recommendations covering infrastructure, management and safety improvements across 63 watch houses.
• The budget includes $16 million for remediation works, upgrading cells and enhancing privacy measures for women and girls.
• Body-worn cameras have been introduced for staff and a trial of body scanners is under way in large facilities to reduce invasive searches.
• The review found detainees spent an average of 118 hours in custody in 2024, while children averaged 161 hours, far exceeding intended short-term limits.
• Legislative changes in August 2023 to permit youths in watch houses and recent bail law reforms have driven admissions beyond the facilities’ designed capacity.