Queensland police to be granted power to issue instant year-long domestic violence orders
By state political reporter Jack McKay
In short:
New domestic violence laws introduced into Queensland parliament will grant police the power to issue an instant 12-month protection order.
The Queensland Council of Social Service believes the reforms do not provide additional protections for victims.
What’s next?
Police Minister Dan Purdie insisted a dedicated team of over 100 police officers would review every order issued to a woman.
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Queensland police are set to be granted sweeping powers to tackle domestic and family violence, but some stakeholders have warned the measures won’t further protect victim-survivors.
The government says the reforms, which were introduced to parliament on Wednesday, will enable police to issue long-term orders to perpetrators and respond to more cases.
Under current laws, police can issue a five-day protection order before they are required to go before a judge to get a longer-term order.
The new laws will enable police to issue an on-the spot 12-month order to a perpetrator without the need to go to court.
Perpetrators who commit an act of domestic violence during the year-long period could face a maximum penalty of three years in jail.
Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Minister Amanda Camm hailed the reforms as “landmark” and said they would be subject to a review in two years.
“This is about giving police the tools that they need to ensure that more victims are protected, that victims are protected in a timely manner, and that perpetrators are held to account,” she said.
“We have ensured significant safeguards to ensure that victims are at the heart and the centre.”
Ms Camm introduced the bill to parliament on Wednesday.
Stakeholder concern
Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh has expressed doubt the proposed changes would help victim-survivors.Top cop expresses rage over domestic violence rates
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“We do not support this bill,” she said.
“We think that it is a measure geared towards police efficiency and will do nothing to improve the safety and wellbeing of women and children.
“The legislation provides no additional protections for victim-survivors. What it does is save police paperwork and time.”
Ms McVeigh raised concerns that police may not identify the person most in need of protection when issuing orders.
“What these measures will do is take away judicial oversight of police decisions and make it more likely that women and children go without the protection they need,” she said.
Calls going unanswered
Police Minister Dan Purdie insisted a dedicated team of over 100 police officers would review every order issued to a woman.
He also said any person issued an order would still be allowed to go to a senior police officer for a review or take the matter to court.
“We know on any one day, in one police district across Queensland — Logan in particular — there can be up to 200 calls for service that [aren’t responded] to,” he said.
“Up to 80 per cent of them can be vulnerable victims of domestic violence left waiting on the phone.
“We know the longer it takes police to resolve one job, the longer it takes to get to that next call for service — and that person on that phone … could be your mother, your sister, your aunty, your loved one.”
The government has released data showing that in 2023-24, police issued 23,364 police protection notices, of which 97 per cent were upheld in court.
They also released data that showed 14.97 per cent of applications police took to court for a domestic violence order involved a female respondent.
That was down from 18.13 per cent the year before and 19.12 per cent in 2021-22.
Support for the laws
The parents of Hannah Clarke, Sue and Lloyd, have backed the law changes.How will the QPS change its culture?
The report highlights problems of misogyny and racism, and points the finger at police leaders for failing to act.
Hannah and her three children were killed by her estranged husband in a shocking arson attack in 2020.
“If it means cutting down the hours that police have to do on one particular job, if it can cut it down to eight hours, that’s just marvellous,” Mr Clarke said.
“Hopefully this will help. I can’t see why it won’t. We fully endorse it, basically.”
Ms Clarke said too many women were being killed.
“It should’ve been a line in the sand when we lost our family. We should not have any more murders happening,”
she said.
“This hopefully may help to slow it down.”
Updated: Two suspects in custody for the homicide of Caleb Quick, police say
By Lauren Aiello, Jazmin Alvarado, Anahid Valencia, and Olivia Pavao
By Lauren Aiello, Jazmin Alvarado, and Anahid Valencia
Male and female 16-year-olds in custody for murder
Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming addresses the public during a press conference regarding the homicide of Caleb Quick on May 10 at the Clovis Police Headquarters.
Clovis Police have two juvenile suspects in custody under Penal Code section 187, murder.
A 16-year-old male and female turned themselves in to Clovis PD on May 9 at approximately 4 p.m. with the assistance of their attorneys.
On Saturday at 10 a.m., Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming held a press conference at the Clovis Police Department (Clovis PD) regarding the homicide of Caleb Quick on April 23.
Fleming provided a timeline of the events that night.
• At 7:44 p.m., a white Tesla arrived at the McDonald’s on Willow and Nees Avenues.
• The Tesla left 28 minutes later at 8:12 p.m.
• At 8:22 p.m., Quick arrived at the McDonald’s.
• Surveillance footage shows the suspect walking on Nees Avenue, west of Willow Avenue, at 8:33 p.m.
• The suspect is seen watching Quick while sitting in the McDonald’s at 8:38 p.m.
• At 8:56 p.m., the male suspect is seen following Quick and his friends outside of the McDonald’s.
• The shooting occurred right after this at approximately 8:57 p.m. in the Willow Station parking lot.
• At 8:57 p.m., the Tesla took off, and the suspect was seen running west through the parking lot toward Willow Avenue.
• The female suspect then picked up the male suspect and drove off at 8:59 p.m.
• Police believe the suspects left the area westbound on Nees Avenue at 9 p.m.
Fleming said that the District Attorney’s office will determine the specific charges and whether or not the suspects will remain in custody through the remainder of the investigation.
According to Fleming, the female driver of the white Tesla, the getaway vehicle, and the male suspect are presumed to be dating, and both individuals knew Quick personally.
Fleming addressed the rumors circulating on social media regarding the homicide.
“Just sit back and let us do our job and put out the factual information,” Fleming said. “It doesn’t help the family who’s grieving right now to hear some of the things that are being said.”
This remains an ongoing investigation, but Fleming said he is confident that the City of Clovis is no longer in danger.
Updated
By Lauren Aiello and Jazmin Alvarado
Update: Police have identified victim of last night’s fatal shooting
The victim who was shot has been identified as 18-year-old Caleb Quick, ABC-30 reported.
After the incident, Quick was rushed to the hospital, where he died of his injuries.
Police say Quick was standing outside of the McDonald’s in the Willow Station parking lot, where he was shot in the head by an unknown suspect.
The motive for the shooting is currently unknown, and police continue to investigate.
Quick was a Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) student who was supposed to graduate this spring.
CUSD Superintendent Corrine Folmer released a statement regarding the incident.
“The news that one of our Clovis Online School students was the victim of a shooting last night hits our student and educational community hard, and our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. The student who was killed was a current senior at our charter school Clovis Online School and previously attended Buchanan High School. We are a connected community, and we know that students across our campuses may be personally impacted or have witnessed this incident. Today, we have taken extra steps to support our students with emotional wellness resources on campus along with extra campus police officers on many of our school sites to assure our parents of the safety of our schools. Our schools have also provided information to parents about support available to their children.”
Quick was a member of the Clovis Hills Youth Group at Clovis Hills Community Church. The church is hosting an open prayer room for any community members on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to its Instagram page.
Original post
At approximately 8:57 p.m. Wednesday, a victim was shot by an unidentified individual in the Willow Station shopping center parking lot outside of the McDonald’s, police say.
The victim’s condition is currently unknown and they have since been transferred to a nearby hospital.
The suspect is dressed in all black, wearing a hoodie pulled over their head and carrying a handgun, according to Clovis Police Department Public Information Officer Ty Wood.
Police are searching the perimeter and a nearby address by car and helicopter. The address is surrounded by officials searching car windows and trash cans, but they cannot search any homes without a search warrant.
Wood spoke to the news outlets present at the scene.
“I can promise you that our detectives and crime scene personnel are gonna do their best to try to find out who did this,” Wood said. “We’re asking the public to stay out of the area if you can please, at Willow and Nees.”
Willow Station is only minutes away from local high schools, churches and only three miles away from Fresno State.
Wood said that there was a large gathering at a nearby church at the time of the shooting.
This is a closed scene and Wood said police will be investigating for several more hours.
More information will be provided in the morning. The Collegian will cover these updates as needed.
Correction: In a previous version of this story the victim’s age was incorrect. The victim is an 18-year-old adult.
