Queensland Police Union
Watch-house Data

Workplace Safety Alert

Watch-house capacity data published below has been obtained from the official QPS public website (QPS Watch-house data).

QPU has serious concerns for member safety in Watch-houses which operate above 100% capacity.

Current data shows that on average 70% of all prisoners held in QPS custody are Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) prisoners, not police prisoners.

This directly contradicts long standing recommendations. As far back as 1996, a Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) report recommended that QCS prisoners should not be held in police watch-houses for longer than three days. This position was reaffirmed in 2025 through the QPS 100 Day Review, authored by the current Acting Police Commissioner.

Despite this, watch-house data continues to highlight unsafe working environments in which QPS officers are required to operate daily managing QCS prisoners.

The QPU calls on the QPS Executive Leadership Team to immediately address this issue and stop practices that knowingly expose officers to unsafe workplaces.

Queensland watch-houses are in critical WPHS failure

Since 4 March, 26 different watch-houses have recorded a critical WPHS failure (over 100% capacity), on 102 separate days — 1,176 individual readings in critical failure in total.

Latest data: Sunday 14 June 2026, 18:00
Critical WPHS failure now
2
watch-houses above 100% capacity
WPHS alert now
4
85%–100% capacity
Days with a critical WPHS failure
102 / 103
since 4 March
Worst single reading
250%
Maryborough Watch-house · 1 Jun, 18:00 · 10 of 4

Explore the data

Switch between views — the same data, shown the way that suits you. Every cell, bar and point is coloured to highlight capacity. QPS publish two snapshots per day — 06:00 (AM) and 18:00 (PM).

Week Fortnight Month All
May31
Jun1
Jun2
Jun3
Jun4
Jun5
Jun6
Jun7
Jun8
Jun9
Jun10
Jun11
Jun12
Jun13
Jun14
Watch-house
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
Maryborough Watch-house
cap 4
200
200
250
175
100
125
75
100
0
50
50
25
25
50
75
75
75
125
125
125
100
150
100
100
150
125
175
175
200
Logan District Watch-house
cap 16
113
69
69
69
63
38
50
50
50
63
88
100
81
75
94
106
88
81
100
94
75
94
119
100
125
100
100
94
94
Cairns Watch-house
cap 42
112
119
107
117
98
98
76
88
52
76
50
55
60
69
79
105
98
100
100
110
91
102
76
83
67
64
57
62
76
Rockhampton Watch-house
cap 22
68
86
73
86
64
64
46
59
32
41
46
46
59
77
96
100
118
96
50
59
55
68
32
36
36
27
27
36
50
Cleveland Watch-house
cap 8
88
75
75
88
113
75
38
38
63
50
63
75
63
63
75
63
50
63
50
50
75
75
100
100
63
75
63
75
75
Richlands Watch-house
cap 20
105
110
100
95
95
95
95
110
70
80
50
45
50
60
60
60
60
55
55
50
40
45
45
60
65
65
70
75
85
Townsville Watch-house
cap 42
86
100
95
107
71
83
74
71
50
45
24
29
38
50
50
57
45
48
33
52
52
52
74
69
57
69
71
88
88
Ipswich District Watch-house
cap 32
100
106
91
94
81
84
91
81
69
66
44
53
56
56
63
63
63
63
81
66
44
50
66
50
63
53
63
72
78
Mount Isa Watch-house
cap 21
91
105
86
100
71
71
81
86
71
67
62
71
91
100
105
105
71
76
71
81
95
105
62
76
91
100
100
100
105
Toowoomba Watch-house
cap 23
96
104
91
83
65
70
70
70
74
65
61
70
61
78
70
70
61
83
61
78
74
78
70
61
39
57
44
57
52
Southport Watch-house
cap 69
87
101
75
81
67
84
81
88
61
64
54
65
74
83
84
86
64
73
58
68
62
67
61
68
48
65
65
80
83
Dalby Watch-house
cap 6
83
100
67
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
67
67
67
67
67
67
50
33
33
50
100
67
17
33
67
83
83
83
83
Gladstone Watch-house
cap 15
40
47
40
33
20
20
33
27
40
40
47
47
53
53
53
53
40
73
93
100
87
87
53
47
73
80
80
87
93
Palm Island Station
cap 2
0
0
50
50
0
0
0
50
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
50
50
50
0
0
0
50
0
100
50
0
0
Brisbane Watch-house
cap 93
72
79
70
74
57
66
54
58
46
52
57
59
68
70
79
82
84
87
71
75
76
72
66
73
65
72
69
74
84
Pine Rivers Watch-house
cap 21
57
62
43
52
52
57
48
57
43
43
33
43
57
57
62
67
57
62
76
76
76
86
76
71
48
48
52
57
57

Each watch-house's most recent published occupancy, ranked highest first. The dashed line marks 100% capacity; anything past it is over capacity.

Maryborough Watch-house cap 4
200%
Mount Isa Watch-house cap 21
105%
Logan District Watch-house cap 16
94%
Gladstone Watch-house cap 15
93%
Townsville Watch-house cap 42
88%
Richlands Watch-house cap 20
85%
Brisbane Watch-house cap 93
84%
Dalby Watch-house cap 6
83%
Southport Watch-house cap 69
83%
Ipswich District Watch-house cap 32
78%
Mackay Watch-house cap 22
77%
Cairns Watch-house cap 42
76%
Cleveland Watch-house cap 8
75%
Hervey Bay Watch-house cap 10
70%
Maroochydore Watch-house cap 27
59%
Pine Rivers Watch-house cap 21
57%
Caboolture Watch-house cap 31
55%
Toowoomba Watch-house cap 23
52%
Caloundra Watch-house cap 20
50%
Mareeba Watch-house cap 12
50%
Rockhampton Watch-house cap 22
50%
Gympie Watch-house cap 10
40%
Warwick Watch-house cap 14
36%
Normanton Watch-house cap 9
33%
Bundaberg Watch-house cap 21
29%
Innisfail Watch-house cap 9
22%
Murgon Watch-house cap 9
22%
Longreach Watch-house cap 6
17%
Doomadgee Watch-house cap 15
13%
Whitsunday Watch-house cap 9
11%
Atherton Station cap 5
0%
Aurukun Station cap 12
0%
Ayr Station cap 8
0%
Bamaga Station cap 6
0%
Bowen Station cap 4
0%
Charleville Watch-house cap 8
0%
Charters Towers Station cap 5
0%
Cooktown Station cap 3
0%
Coolangatta Watch-house cap 7
0%
Cunnamulla Watch-house cap 4
0%
Dunwich Station cap 2
0%
Emerald Watch-house cap 5
0%
Gatton Station cap 3
0%
Goondiwindi Station cap 6
0%
Ingham Station cap 6
0%
Kingaroy Watch-house cap 7
0%
Kowanyama Station cap 10
0%
Lockhart River Station cap 6
0%
Moranbah Station cap 6
0%
Mornington Island Watch-house cap 12
0%
Mossman Station cap 12
0%
Palm Island Station cap 2
0%
Pormpuraaw Station cap 8
0%
Redcliffe Watch-house cap 9
0%
Roma Watch-house cap 8
0%
Saint George Watch-house cap 3
0%
Sandgate Watch-house cap 6
0%
Thursday Island Station cap 10
0%
Weipa Station cap 12
0%
Woorabinda Watch-house cap 7
0%
Wynnum Watch-house cap 8
0%
Yarrabah Station cap 7
0%

How many watch-houses sat in WPHS alert (85–100%) or critical failure (over 100%) on each day. Taller stacks mean more watch-houses over the safe line that day.

Most recent published count for every watch-house, ranked by occupancy. Empty rows mean QPS has not published a recent figure.

Watch-house Prisoners Capacity % capacity   As at
Maryborough Watch-house Critical WPHS failure 8 4 200.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Mount Isa Watch-house Critical WPHS failure 22 21 104.8%
14 Jun 18:00
Logan District Watch-house WPHS alert 15 16 93.8%
14 Jun 18:00
Gladstone Watch-house WPHS alert 14 15 93.3%
14 Jun 18:00
Townsville Watch-house WPHS alert 37 42 88.1%
14 Jun 18:00
Richlands Watch-house WPHS alert 17 20 85.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Brisbane Watch-house Within capacity 78 93 83.9%
14 Jun 18:00
Dalby Watch-house Within capacity 5 6 83.3%
14 Jun 18:00
Southport Watch-house Within capacity 57 69 82.6%
14 Jun 18:00
Ipswich District Watch-house Within capacity 25 32 78.1%
14 Jun 18:00
Mackay Watch-house Within capacity 17 22 77.3%
14 Jun 18:00
Cairns Watch-house Within capacity 32 42 76.2%
14 Jun 18:00
Cleveland Watch-house Within capacity 6 8 75.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Hervey Bay Watch-house Within capacity 7 10 70.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Maroochydore Watch-house Within capacity 16 27 59.3%
14 Jun 18:00
Pine Rivers Watch-house Within capacity 12 21 57.1%
14 Jun 18:00
Caboolture Watch-house Within capacity 17 31 54.8%
14 Jun 18:00
Toowoomba Watch-house Within capacity 12 23 52.2%
14 Jun 18:00
Caloundra Watch-house Within capacity 10 20 50.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Mareeba Watch-house Within capacity 6 12 50.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Rockhampton Watch-house Within capacity 11 22 50.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Gympie Watch-house Within capacity 4 10 40.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Warwick Watch-house Within capacity 5 14 35.7%
14 Jun 18:00
Normanton Watch-house Within capacity 3 9 33.3%
14 Jun 18:00
Bundaberg Watch-house Within capacity 6 21 28.6%
14 Jun 18:00
Innisfail Watch-house Within capacity 2 9 22.2%
14 Jun 18:00
Murgon Watch-house Within capacity 2 9 22.2%
14 Jun 18:00
Longreach Watch-house Within capacity 1 6 16.7%
14 Jun 18:00
Doomadgee Watch-house Within capacity 2 15 13.3%
14 Jun 18:00
Whitsunday Watch-house Within capacity 1 9 11.1%
14 Jun 18:00
Atherton Station Within capacity 0 5 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Aurukun Station Within capacity 0 12 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Ayr Station Within capacity 0 8 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Bamaga Station Within capacity 0 6 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Bowen Station Within capacity 0 4 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Charleville Watch-house Within capacity 0 8 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Charters Towers Station Within capacity 0 5 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Cooktown Station Within capacity 0 3 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Coolangatta Watch-house Within capacity 0 7 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Cunnamulla Watch-house Within capacity 0 4 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Dunwich Station Within capacity 0 2 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Emerald Watch-house Within capacity 0 5 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Gatton Station Within capacity 0 3 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Goondiwindi Station Within capacity 0 6 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Ingham Station Within capacity 0 6 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Kingaroy Watch-house Within capacity 0 7 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Kowanyama Station Within capacity 0 10 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Lockhart River Station Within capacity 0 6 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Moranbah Station Within capacity 0 6 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Mornington Island Watch-house Within capacity 0 12 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Mossman Station Within capacity 0 12 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Palm Island Station Within capacity 0 2 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Pormpuraaw Station Within capacity 0 8 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Redcliffe Watch-house Within capacity 0 9 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Roma Watch-house Within capacity 0 8 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Saint George Watch-house Within capacity 0 3 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Sandgate Watch-house Within capacity 0 6 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Thursday Island Station Within capacity 0 10 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Weipa Station Within capacity 0 12 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Woorabinda Watch-house Within capacity 0 7 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Wynnum Watch-house Within capacity 0 8 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Yarrabah Station Within capacity 0 7 0.0%
14 Jun 18:00
Within capacity (under 85%) WPHS alert (85%–100%) Critical WPHS failure (over 100%) No data

Watch-house occupancy over time

Defaults to watch-houses that have ever breached the 85% alert threshold. Switch to all combined, or pick an individual watch-house.

Download a watch-house report

Pick a watch-house to generate a one-page PDF summary — capacity, occupancy over time, peak, and breach history.