The Queensland police service plans to disband a specialist unit that provided statewide support for domestic and family violence cases, prompting concern from frontline workers that the loss of an “important resource” would place women at greater risk.

The QPS confirmed to Guardian Australia on Friday it would scrap the DFV and vulnerable persons command “operational support unit” and redeploy its officers to local districts.

It says the decisions are part of an organisational change, after a 100-day review that included comments that domestic violence case management was not “core” police business.

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Frontline workers who contacted Guardian Australia say they were told of the decision to disband the DFV “operational support unit” last week. They said the unit had been “invaluable” to the sector and critical for information sharing between agencies, and ensuring safe and timely responses to DFV-related concerns.

Workers said they were concerned about the effect on victim safety, particularly to women in regional and remote areas.

“Why would QPS reduce such an important DFV resource, in the current climate of community anger at escalating rates of DFV and resulting community harm?” one frontline worker said.

Guardian Australia’s Broken Trust series, published last year, raised concern about policing failures and attitudes in domestic violence cases.

The QPS points to the 2022 inquiry into cultural issues in the service, and says subsequent reforms had “addressed many of the issues that previously required centralised oversight”. Several of the recommendations of the review have yet to be implemented and are long overdue, including the establishment of a civilian-led police integrity unit.

The inquiry found that attitudes of misogyny, sexism and racism within the QPS were “largely unchecked” and that it was hardly surprising that the same attitudes were then reflected in the way officers responded to victim survivors.

The 100-day review found that the “perceived primacy” of family violence meant it took up a large amount of police workload.

In response to questions, the QPS confirmed it would cease to operate the DFV operational support unit and that positions within the broader DFV and vulnerable persons command would be sent to frontline commands.

It said the 100-day review was an “evidence based roadmap” to strengthen frontline parts of the QPS “and build a more responsive policing organisation”.

“As part of this broader reform process, the QPS is realigning components of the DFV and vulnerable persons command into other areas of the organisation.

“This realignment is designed to enhance both the strategic and operational response to domestic and family violence by ensuring resources and expertise are positioned where they can have the greatest impact.”

The QPS said that its own review found that process improvements since the inquiry had “addressed many of the issues that previously required centralised oversight”.