Booze to flow on at police stations

Police will continue to drink in stations as the service refuses to go “dry” despite sweeping reforms aimed at stamping out bad behaviour. Social clubs will still be allowed to serve alcohol at their bars inside police stations with the QPS having no plans to adopt drink bans already in place in most workplaces - despite warnings in its own policy documents that people don’t like police drinking in uniform.

Eleven station social clubs, including one at the police academy in Oxley, have liquor licences or liquor permits. While the police policy says barbecues involving members of the community are to be encouraged, drinking on duty is banned.

The refusal to go dry comes despite a police officer being disciplined for drinking alcohol with “questionable” civilians at a police station until 4.3Oam. On November 14 last year, Senior Constable Jefiirey Frazer took a group of acquaintances back to Caloundra police station, after a social function, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal was told. He had intended to collect his car and alcohol and return home but once there they decided to stay and drink in the station’s social club area.


The report above appeared in the Brisbane "Sunday Mail" on 3 October 2010