The Queensland Council for Civil Liberties (QCCL) says police will be pressured into breaking the law to keep their figures up on scorecards.

As the Queensland Police Service aims to reduce state-wide crime by 10 per cent, officers will be assessed according to their number of traffic fines, random breath tests (RBTs) and street checks.

Terry O'Gorman from QCCL says it is a return to the so-called "kill sheet" quotas of the 1970s and 80s.

He says police will be under pressure to break the law.

"Police under pressure to complete scorecards will cut corners, will bully and bluster people into letting police search their cars when the police have no right to," he said.

"If police are going to be put on scorecards and you've got say 10 police in a squad and four are doing fewer RBTs, fewer street stops than the rest of them, then those four are going to be asked by their superior for a please explain.

"That is a return to the kill sheet."

Mr O'Gorman claims complaints have already been received about the abuse of search powers since the new bikie laws came into effect late last year.

But Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart has defended the scorecard system, saying it is not a repeat of the controversial 1970s and 1980s quota system.

"I expect our people to do their job. Their job is to stop crime in the community, make the community safer and build relationships with our community on a constant and continuous basis," he said.

Continued here:

Civil libertarian says Qld police under pressure to break law

WICHITA The Libertarian party will pick its candidate for governor at the party's convention in Wichita on April 26, the first significant event in a year that will determine if Republican Gov. Sam Brownback secures a second term.

About 150 registered Libertarians will choose between Keen Umbehr of Alma and Tresa McAlhaney of Bonner Springs. Libertarians are prohibited from picking their candidate by ballot in a primary election in August because it is not considered a major party in Kansas.

Some Libertarians say having a primary election like Democrats and Republicans would improve their candidate's chances for a good showing during the general election in November.

The Kansas City Star reports ( http://bit.ly/1cqvEMX ) that a political party in Kansas must get 5 percent of the vote in a governor's race to be considered a major party. In 2010, the Libertarian candidate for governor got 2.6 percent of the vote.

"We feel like we're behind the eight ball," said Rob Hodgkinson, vice chairman of the Libertarian Party of Kansas. "Most of the media have no idea we have two candidates. Everything is prioritized to the major parties."

Brownback, a former U.S. senator, was elected in 2010. His Democratic opposition on the November ballot will likely be House Minority Leader Paul Davis of Lawrence.

Umbehr and McAlhaney were taking the challenge of gaining voter support in stride.

"It is what it is," McAlhaney said. "We haven't gotten major party status in the state, so we have the freedom to run our party the way that we want."

Umbehr said the lack of attention and rules for minor parties "makes us work harder."

Hodgkinson said the fact Libertarian candidates aren't listed on the secretary of state's website is also a disadvantage.

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Libertarians have two candidates for Kansas governor

The Queensland Council for Civil Liberties (QCCL) says police will be pressured into breaking the law to keep their figures up on scorecards.

As the Queensland Police Service aims to reduce state-wide crime by 10 per cent, officers will be assessed according to their number of traffic fines, random breath tests (RBTs) and street checks.

Terry O'Gorman from QCCL says it is a return to the so-called "kill sheet" quotas of the 1970s and 80s.

He says police will be under pressure to break the law.

"Police under pressure to complete scorecards will cut corners, will bully and bluster people into letting police search their cars when the police have no right to," he said.

"If police are going to be put on scorecards and you've got say 10 police in a squad and four are doing fewer RBTs, fewer street stops than the rest of them, then those four are going to be asked by their superior for a please explain.

"That is a return to the kill sheet."

Mr O'Gorman claims complaints have already been received about the abuse of search powers since the new bikie laws came into effect late last year.

But Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart has defended the scorecard system, saying it is not a repeat of the controversial 1970s and 1980s quota system.

"I expect our people to do their job. Their job is to stop crime in the community, make the community safer and build relationships with our community on a constant and continuous basis," he said.

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Queensland police under pressure to break law, civil libertarian says