Queensland Police Service (QPS) Right to Information and Privacy Services is available to assist people who are seeking information held by the QPS and will do our best to respond to all enquiries.
In a small number of cases, customers seek to interact with our staff in an unacceptable way. For more information regarding what is considered unacceptable behaviour and our response to it, please see our Inappropriate Customer Behaviour page.
The QPS makes information available online as per requirements under the Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act) and the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act) which replaced the Freedom of Information Act 1992.
These laws:
- Make more government information available to the community
- Provide equal access to government information for everyone
- Provide protection for individuals’ privacy.
Applications can be sent via the online application portal at www.rti.qld.gov.au or by emailing the downloadable application form to rti@police.qld.gov.au.
Many documents can be obtained from the QPS without the need for a formal RTI application. This includes:
- Crime reports, court briefs and a range of other materials available for purchase through the Administrative Access Scheme.
- Information released routinely is organised into categories under the Publication Scheme. It includes details about how decisions are made, policies and procedures.
- The Disclosure Log which lists all information previously released through RTI applications.
You may also be able to obtain the information you seek by contacting your local police station. You are encouraged to search the QPS Administrative Access options prior to submitting a formal RTI application.
Information about road traffic crashes and police reports may able to be sourced via this secure database.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, try our Knowledge Centre, where you can search for articles on a range of RTI topics.
The Right to Information Act 2009 (RTIA) and Information Privacy Act 2009 (IPA) both make provision for formal RTI and IP applications. Applications made under these Acts should be a 'last resort' option for obtaining documents in the possession of the QPS.
Before you make an application, we recommend you search the information release resources available on our Administrative Access Scheme page.
You may also contact our Right to Information (RTI) officers who can help you find the information you need. The RTI officer can also advise you on whether you will need to make a Right to Information (RTI) or Information Privacy (IP) application and how to do so. Please direct enquiries to our business email rti@police.qld.gov.au.
If you have a current court proceeding, an RTI application is NOT the recommended process to obtain documents held by the Queensland Police Service. Please refer to the below section regarding Subpoenas and court documents for further information.
Subpoenas and court documents
The Subpoena team sits within the Queensland Police Service (QPS) Right to Information and Privacy Unit.
The team is the authorised delegate to accept service of summonses and subpoenas and other formal notices to produce records on behalf of the Commissioner of the QPS. It ensures legal process served on the Commissioner is complied with and records are produced to courts and tribunals within required timeframes; Processes requests for information under statutory record release schemes other than Right to Information (RTI) legislation e.g. section 134A Evidence Act 1977; Provides information to the public as well as legal practitioners who wish to obtain QPS documents for the purposes of court proceedings.
Read more about Subpoenas and Court Documents
Frequently asked questions:
- What does the QPS do to protect privacy?
The QPS is subject to the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act) which protects all forms of personal information from being lost, misused or inappropriately modified or disclosed.
Read more about Privacy in the QPS
- How do I access information?
Under the Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act) and the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act), you can apply online to access information held by the Queensland Police Service (QPS).
- What happens after I apply for information?
Once you have submitted your request for information, we will review your application to make sure it contains everything we need to process it. If more information is needed, we will contact you. For further information visit the Office of the Information Commissioner Queensland.