Queensland watch houses have "end-to-end systemic issues" and are "under significant pressure", according to the state's police commissioner.

The comments on Tuesday by Steve Gollschewski come as the newly appointed commissioner announced a broad-ranging review into the state's watch houses in the wake of the horrific treatment of children, which feature "torture" like conditions and numerous allegations of misconduct, sexual abuse and violence.

The review, to be led by deputy commissioner Cameron Harsley, will look at how the facilities, which hold both violent adult detainees and children as young as 11, are designed and operated, as well addressing police training.

Mr Gollschewski said the review would not investigate whether the facilities were appropriate to hold children for long periods, but rather the ability of the Queensland Police Service "to deliver a system under current arrangements".

It comes despite multiple human rights, Indigenous and legal groups highlighting the inappropriateness of housing children - many with severe disabilities - in the facilities.

Last year, the Queensland government suspended the state's Human Rights Act to allow children to be kept in adult watch houses, with the government routinely defending the practice under the guise of community safety.

"We'd rather have no children in watch houses. But obviously … there's a community safety consideration," Mr Gollschewski said.

"What we want to do is move them out of there as quickly as they possibly can."

He said there have been 42 complaints at watch houses in Queensland this year with 101 allegations raised.

"Clearly we're very concerned [about the complaints]," he said. "And in some instances, our people have got it wrong."

Revelations include a 13-year old Indigenous girl - assessed as having the mental capacity of a kindergarten child - being handcuffed, naked, and covered in her own urine, in a Queensland adult watch house and a 17-year-old First Nations boy being struck with a baton by police at the Richlands watch house in Brisbane.

Queensland locks up more young people than any other state in the country, and the latest closing the gap data showed more than 45 per cent of all Indigenous young people across Australia in detention on average day were in Queensland.

The commissioner said the demand on watch houses and the Queensland Police Service will only intensify as the population grows.

"I acknowledge there are end-to-end systemic issues in our watch houses, and the whole system is under significant pressure," Mr Gollschewski said.

"Once an offender comes into a watch house, it is our responsibility to treat them with dignity, respect and effectively manage them while they are in our care."

He said police will now be mandated to use body-worn cameras, and live data must be published to the numbers of children and adults in watch houses.

Last year it was revealed children were pleading guilty to crimes they didn't commit in order to avoid spending time in watch houses, and human rights groups have said that whilst guidelines stipulate children are not meant to be kept in a watch house for more than 72 hours, some were there for over 30.