Ethical Standards Command

The Ethical Standards Command (ESC) goal is to ensure the community has full confidence in and respect for the Queensland Police Service (QPS).

The purpose of the ESC is to protect the high standards of integrity and professionalism necessary to maintain the trust and support of our community.

Roles and objectives

Review, determine compliance with, and report on issues including:

1. the reliability and integrity of financial and operational information and the means used to identify, measure, classify and report such information;
2. the systems established to ensure compliance with QPS policies, plans, procedures, laws, regulations, and delegations of authority that have a significant impact on operations and reports;
3. the means of safeguarding assets from loss, theft and/or fraud and where appropriate, the existence of QPS assets;
4. the economy and efficiency with which resources are managed and used; and
5. operations and programs to ascertain whether results are consistent with established objectives and goals, and whether operations are being carried out as planned.

• Investigate allegations of corruption, misconduct and serious breaches of discipline, including suspected unethical conduct.
• Develop educational strategies to promote, reinforce and engender in all employees a full understanding of the expected standards of ethical behaviour.
• Enhance ethical standards for employees of the QPS, including development of corporate policies, practices and strategies that prevent, minimise and discourage unethical conduct.
• Actively oversight and investigate specified "Police Related Incidents"
• Administer the discipline system of the QPS.
• Ensure procedural fairness, quality and timeliness in all disciplinary processes.
• Encourage reporting by internal sources of suspect behaviour.
• Identify, investigate and disseminate best practice procedures across all functions of the QPS.
• Co-ordinate risk management within the Service.
• To maintain the confidence of all QPS members in respect to the proper and efficient management of the QPS discipline system.

Internal Investigation Group

The ESC Internal Investigation Group (IIG) manages the QPS discipline process state-wide. 

The Group's responsibilities include:

• investigating allegations of suspected criminal conduct and serious misconduct by members of the QPS;
• providing advice to the Assistant Commissioner, ESC on the resolution of complaints within acceptable timeframes and with appropriate outcomes;
• actively reviewing and, in selected cases, investigating specific police-related incidents;
• investigating all deaths in police custody; and
• investigating other matters as directed by the QPS Commissioner, Deputy Chief Executive (Specialist Operations) or Assistant Commissioner, ESC.

IIG liaises with the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) regarding the investigation and resolution of serious complaints of official and/or police misconduct. 

The more serious matters of misconduct may be retained by the CCC or IIG for investigation. When matters are referred back to the region/command where the incident occurred, these matters are subject to overview by the CCC or IIG before they can be finalised.

Minor matters such as 'Breaches of Discipline' remain the responsibility of the region/command to be dealt with at local level subject to auditing by the ESC. 

The QPS has a Integrity Framework which outlines the obligations of the Service to the Queensland Community and its expectations from those who we serve.

The integrity framework is based around three principles. These principles underpin our approach to integrity and provide three areas of knowledge that are central to how we think about integrity and ethics.

• Values
• Leadership
• Accountability

The framework then provides the key actions which ensure we maintain and build the integrity of the organisation. These processes apply to all levels of the organisation. They are:

• know what to expect
• educate and guide others
• ensure we do the right thing
• protect our standards

Integrity and Performance Group

The ESC Integrity and Performance Group (IPG) performs a number of functions aimed at informing, advising, assisting and supporting members with matters which impact on the professionalism and integrity of the QPS.

Our key activities are:

• undertaking designated reviews of legislation, procedures and organisational practices pertaining to discipline, ethics, professionalism, corruption and associated issues;
• researching, developing and implementing integrity initiatives to prevent, minimise and discourage unethical conduct;
• providing high quality strategic and tactical advice regarding integrity issues;
• developing and facilitating state-wide delivery of ethics resources to assist QPS members to make ethical decisions and providing information sessions and other integrity related education and development programs; and
• establishing and maintaining effective ethics and integrity networks both within the QPS and with appropriate outside agencies and representing the QPS on relevant bodies.
• supporting learning and improvements for the QPS by providing a focus on the operational issues that are of most concern to members of the QPs and the community.

Inspections

The Inspections Teams provide independent state-wide assessments of managerial, administrative and operational functions and programs. The aim of Inspections is to promote professionalism, strategic thinking and best practice, to direct managerial action towards areas of greatest risk, and to add value to management efforts to improve performance, accountability and integrity. The types of inspections conducted include:

• Compliance Inspections - focus on policy and procedural obligations, systems and internal control
• Issue-Based Inspections - focus on corporate, strategic or operational issues impacting across the Service.

Education and Training Unit

The Education and Training Unit provides professionally delivered, meaningful, Ethics, Values and Discipline System Training to the QPS. Importantly, such training also provides those engaged in implementing the Service’s discipline system with the knowledge to ensure the discipline system operates efficiently and effectively. Amongst many other concepts the Education and Training Unit provides training in how to intervene early to avoid future misconduct as well as how to provide quality proactive ethical leadership.