By Sonia Isaacs
DOMESTIC and family violence remains a major and relentless demand on Sunshine Coast police, with officers responding to an “extraordinary” volume of cases despite early signs the crisis may be easing slightly.
Speaking in Maleny on May 5 at the Speak Up Now candlelight vigil, Head of the Vulnerable Persons Unit on the Sunshine Coast Snr Sgt Jonathan McBride said about 50 per cent of police work in the region is now domestic and family violence-related, mirroring a Queensland-wide pattern of around 500 call-outs a day; roughly one every three minutes.
“Like everywhere in Queensland, we’re extremely busy with domestic and family violence,” he said, noting this year’s figures suggest a possible downward trend, but it is “really too early to say” if that will continue.
He warned cost-of-living pressures, including rising interest rates and fuel prices, are adding strain to households and relationships, potentially fuelling conflict and abuse, with official figures likely under-representing the true scale of harm.
“We know a lot of people don’t report domestic and family violence,” he said. “If we don’t know about it, we can’t help people.”
Snr Sgt McBride said domestic violence “doesn’t discriminate”, affecting all ages, demographics and cultures, and urged communities not to remain silent when abuse is suspected.
He rejected recent claims Queensland Police Service internal changes had weakened frontline responses, saying restructuring only altered command arrangements.
“In terms of what you see as policing on the street, there is no change,” he said. “We have only grown in strength over the last years.”
Statewide, he said reports have risen from about 70,000 in 2017 to around 200,000 last financial year, driven by greater awareness, inquiries and law reform, including the introduction of coercive control offences recognising non-physical abuse.
“The emotional and psychological abuse can be that torture that’s much worse than physical violence at times,” he said.
With Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month underway, he urged community action and reporting concerns.
Speak Up Now spokesperson Val France said at least 18 women and some men have already been killed this year through domestic violence.
“These are not statistics; they are people with families, friends and futures that should never have been stolen,” she said. “We will keep speaking their names and pushing for urgent change.”