Tasmania Police complaints rise, but data only tells half the story

However, the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management claims its handling procedures means some annual statistics cannot be compared.

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The 2023 Report on Government Services compares police jurisdictions across the country on a range of metrics including the number of complaints made against officers, public perceptions of police and perceptions of safety.

Complaints data starts in 2013, however the report notes that Tasmanian data from 2017-18 onward cannot be compared with previous years due to the introduction of the Abacus system at Tasmania Police.

In a statement, Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Keating said this logs internal and externally-raised complaints.

"This means that more complaints have been reported since the time of the introduction of the new system," Assistant Commissioner Keating said.

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Documents relating to Abacus, which was introduced in 2017, say that logging a minor matter is at the discretion of a senior officer however if minor infringements are repeated they must be logged.

Examples of minor infringements listed in the documents are uniform violations and failure to return paperwork on time, both of which could be logged in Abacus if repeated.

Despite this, the Productivity Commission data shows Tasmania Police logged fewer complaints per 100,000 population compared to most Australian policing jurisdictions.

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The Tasmanian Integrity Commission also labelled Abacus "perhaps the most advanced police conduct management system in Australia" after a 2021 review.

Other metrics measured by the Productivity Commission include public satisfaction, perception of police integrity and public safety.

Satisfaction among Tasmanians who have dealt with police in the previous 12 months has been consistently above the national average, barring 2020-21.

Perceptions of police integrity and public safety were also ranked above the national average in most cases in 2021-22.

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Assistant Commissioner Keating said the organisation was committed to building and maintaining a positive relationship with the public, and ensuring Tasmania Police remained transparent.

"Tasmania Police acknowledges the importance of our community having trust and confidence in our organisation," he said.

"Tasmania Police is subject to a high degree of scrutiny ... and we encourage members of the public who are dissatisfied with an outcome to make complaints through formal channels, which includes the Integrity Commission.

"Our people strive to make a difference every day and Tasmania Police welcomes any opportunity to ensure the transparency and accountability of our organisation."

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