An independent review has revealed Tasmania Police is facing a surge of 40,000 additional dispatch calls annually compared to a decade ago, with officers increasingly absorbed by work that is not core policing. The “Role of Police” review, conducted by the Australian New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA), was released on Thursday and highlights the mounting pressures on frontline members.
According to a Tasmania Police media release, the report found the total number of operational dispatch incidents reached 138,756 in the 2024-25 period. The review identified that calls related to mental health and family violence have more than doubled over the last ten years. Family violence incidents alone have grown by 270 per cent in that time, rising from 1,582 to 5,856, as reported by Pulse Tasmania.
Police Commissioner Donna Adams said the review confirmed the nature of policing has changed significantly. “Demand on frontline officers has increased, particularly in relation to mental health incidents, family violence and complex vulnerability matters,” Commissioner Adams stated. She acknowledged that much of this work, while vital for community safety, does not fit within traditional policing roles.
The review found police are increasingly covering for other agencies, responding to mental health callouts, ambulance jobs, and child safety matters. One example cited in the report noted two officers waiting at the Royal Hobart Hospital for over an hour and a half with a person in protective custody, a job which took more than three and a half hours in total.
The Police Association of Tasmania (PAT), which had advocated for the review, said the findings confirm the daily reality for its members. A PAT spokesperson told media that police are acting as a “safety net when other agencies are not resourced, available or willing to respond”.
The report makes 39 recommendations, including roster reform, creating an online crime reporting function, and trialling secure mobile devices for officers. It also calls for clearer criteria for police attendance at mental health incidents and improved hospital handover protocols with Ambulance Tasmania.
Commissioner Adams said Tasmania Police will now examine the findings to prioritise “realistic, achievable actions” for the frontline, taking budget considerations into account. The original ABC News report can be found on their website.