[
The Brisbane watch house is operating at 60 per cent capacity due to a broken pipe that prompted a memo urging officers consider alternatives to detaining suspects at the Roma Street site.
While the pipe was leaking, the memo itself was leaked, to the media, forcing the Queensland Police Service to clarify whether suspects were allowed to roam free due to capacity constraints.
The Brisbane watch house is at reduced capacity due to building works needed to fix a broken pipe.Credit: Toby Crockford
Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus on Friday insisted anyone considered a threat to others, or a flight risk, would still be detained while the building works were undertaken.
However, he said some suspects may be held in watch houses further from home, or further from the arresting officer’s station, due to the issue at Roma Street.
“We have asked our staff, as we always do, to make a risk-based values decision on each occasion before they have to put a person before a court,” Marcus said.
Loading
“But, again, if any person needs to be arrested, and held in custody, that’s exactly what we will do.”
Marcus said watch house numbers fluctuated on a daily basis, and police were in constant contact with youth detention and corrective services facilities in relation to transfers. He reiterated watch houses had sufficient capacity for suspects.
He said that while there were special considerations for young and female offenders, officers were only being asked to consider options and “call first” before deciding where to house suspects.
