Top cops accept redundancies Police Commissioner Ian Stewart has revealed nearly 90 experienced officers have accepted redundancies. Nearly 90 of Queensland's most experienced cops have accepted redundancies under a controversial overhaul of the state's police force. Police Commissioner Ian Stewart revealed, on Thursday night, 86 commissioned officers had volunteered for redundancies. "These officers will be exiting the service over the coming weeks," he said. I acknowledge that we are losing not only colleagues but friends, mentors and confidants. While their departure from the service will result in a loss of many years of experience and corporate knowledge, the subsequent renewal will provide significant opportunities for the QPS and the community we serve. Mr Stewart called for voluntary redundancies following an edict by the Newman government to cut costs. Superintendent John Pointing of the Commissioned Officers' Union of Employees has previously described the cuts as "catastrophic," and said morale was low among the experienced officers, many of whom joined the force up to 40 years ago and ascended the ranks while eschewing better-paying job opportunities to serve the Queensland community. He said the ratio of commissioned officers to those in lower ranks in Queensland would be the lowest of all states in Australia following the cuts. However, the Queensland Police Union has been "cautiously optimistic" about the impending changes. "There's been too many chiefs and not enough Indians," the union's assistant secretary Denis Sycz said. Hundreds of surviving senior officers will be re-deployed and their responsibilities picked up by lower-ranking officers. Some may be made to reapply for their current jobs. Among other changes to be implemented, the state's eight police regions will be cut to five, with the Metro South and Metro North regions merging into one Brisbane district. The drastic changes fly in the face of anti-corruption measures recommended in the Fitzgerald Report. The cuts are set to save $5 million per year, although the state government has not guaranteed the money will be reinvested in the police service.