The ACT's police union says stressed officers are at risk of mental harm because the government does not spend enough on law enforcement.
The Productivity Commission's latest data shows the ACT has fewer police per capita than every other state or territory, and is the lowest-spending jurisdiction.
However, its report on government services also notes that Canberrans feel safer than most Australians and are less likely to be victims of crime.
The ranks of sworn officers in ACT Policing have been shrinking for most of the past decade relative to the population.
During 2020-21, the ACT had fewer operational police staff than all other jurisdictions: 219 per 100,000 residents, compared with a national average of 284.
Canberrans, via their government, also spent significantly less on policing — $444 a year per person, while the national figure was $549.50.
Australian Federal Police Association president Alex Caruana told the ABC he did not understand why the ACT government did not invest more in law enforcement.
He suggested the decision was to avoid "the possibility of looking like a police state".
"We've essentially got, in the ACT, the world-leading police force in ... the Australian Federal Police," he said.
"A few hundreds of dollars a year more or a few hundred more police officers will go a long way, especially in times of a pandemic."
Police 'trying to do the best they can with limited resources'
The ACT's Chief Police Officer, Neil Gaughan, announced last month a shift in his force's policy, saying it would ask Canberrans to report some property crimes online.
He said this would free up police to prioritise other threats to the community.
However, Mr Caruana said this fed a perception that police were "not doing their job".
"They're trying to do the best they can with a limited number of resources," he said.
Mr Caruana said he was aware of officers suffering mental health issues as a result of increased work demands.
"Our members are stretched so much that we are aware of a number of mental health issues across all of the stations in Canberra," he said.
"Members have been long-term overtime, working more than 15 hours a day for 16 days straight, just to cover shifts where their teammates have gone down because they've pushed themselves further.
Police staffing was a contested policy during the 2020 ACT election campaign, when the opposition said they would double the government's pledge to hire more officers.
The Canberra Liberals also promised to build a new police station in the fast-growing Molonglo Valley.
But ACT Police Minister Mick Gentleman said the ACT's police force was difficult to compare to other states and territories.
"The ACT is a unique jurisdiction not only in its size but because much of it is metropolitan," he said.
"Police numbers in the ACT cannot be easily compared to other jurisdictions, which cover a much wider geographical area."
Mr Gentleman also said the government was providing "record funding" to the force, including almost $34 million to "help modernise ACT Policing services".
"ACT Policing's workforce continues to grow and welcome new members. Ninety-eight recruits graduated and have joined ACT Policing in the past financial year," Mr Gentleman said.
Most crime rates lower in the capital
Nonetheless, while the numbers of police on Canberra streets have been falling, so too have reports of crime.
Commissioner Gaughan said property offences had dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Productivity Commission also found that, across a range of measures, Canberrans were generally safer from crime than most Australians.
Its 2019-20 estimates, which combine police reports with survey data, suggest Canberrans were less likely to be the victims of physical assaults, break-ins or car thefts than residents of every other state and territory.
Canberrans made fewer complaints about police, per capita, than all other Australians.
They also tended to feel safer in public and be less likely to perceive illicit drugs to be a problem in their community.
"This perception is not misplaced," Mr Gentleman said.
"Canberrans have high perceptions of safety at home, walking in their neighbourhoods and travelling on public transport.
"As a result of ACT Policing’s strong performance, Canberra residents feel safe."
However, ACT residents suffered relatively high rates of theft from vehicles,other thefts and malicious property damage during 2020-21.
