Qld: Police not caught short says Commissioner

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2005
Qld: Police not caught short says Commissioner

By Rachael Langford

BRISBANE, Aug 13 AAP - The fact a policeman shot dead by an armed criminal did not
have a hand held radio didn't mean the police service was short of resources, Queensland
Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said today.

An inquest into the death of Senior Sergeant Perry Irwin, 42, who was shot in bushland
by drug-affected Damien Lawrence Coates, 21, on August 22, 2003, began last week. The
inquest is examining the police response to the incident.

Constable Bryce Hertslet told the inquest that once Snr Sgt Irwin was shot, he had
to call the station on his mobile phone, and battle poor reception and hang-ups by staff,
because they had no hand-held radios.

The inquiry has also seen a number of reports written by Snr Sgt Irwin in the months
before the shooting that request more hand-held radios.

"I don't think people should prejudge that issue about a lack of resources, it may
be that the coroner has a particular finding in respect to that and if so, we will take
that on board," Mr Atkinson said.

"We've put a lot of resources into Caboolture in recent times and will continue to do that."

Mr Atkinson said the police was doing all it could to keep pace with Queensland's growing
population.

"The nature of policing is a dangerous job.

"If police are called to a job where a person is armed and dangerous, they can't say
`we don't feel like doing this', they have to go."

AAP rl/arb/de

KEYWORD: IRWIN

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