Victoria Police Embarks on Radical Overhaul: Thousands More Officers to Hit the Streets as Force Declares War on Soaring Crime Rate
- Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush vows to ‘free up police from administrative burden’ and get them back on the beat
- Executive team to be drastically slimmed down in bid to tackle record-breaking crime wave that’s left the state reeling
- Staggering 86,587 more crimes committed in Victoria in the past year – a 15.7% increase on the previous 12 months
In a bold move to combat the spiralling crime rate, Victoria Police has unveiled a radical plan to overhaul its executive team and flood the streets with thousands more officers. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush made the bombshell announcement on Monday, vowing to ‘free up police from administrative burden’ and get them back on the beat where they’re needed most.
The drastic shake-up comes as the state battles a record-breaking crime wave that’s left the community on edge. According to shocking Crime Statistics Agency data, a staggering 86,587 more crimes were committed in Victoria in the past year – a 15.7% increase on the previous 12 months.
‘We have a crime problem here in Victoria,’ a resolute Commissioner Bush declared. ‘The levels of offending we are seeing in our community are entirely unacceptable.’
Under the proposed restructure, the executive team will be drastically slimmed down to enable a reinvestment in the front line. This will include a reduction in the number of centralised Commands and Departments, freeing up vital resources to be redeployed to where they’re needed most.
But that’s not all – the force is also trialling a groundbreaking initiative to release sworn officers from police station reception counter duties, a move that’s expected to free up a whopping 1.4 million personnel hours in just one year.
‘I was quite surprised to see at every station, for every shift, we use uniform police officers to man our public counters and take calls for service,’ Commissioner Bush revealed. ‘Those things are really important but they don’t need to be done by highly trained frontline police officers.’
Instead, the organisation will explore a range of options, including deploying public servants or Police Custody Officers to carry out the work, ensuring that the service is not only maintained but improved.
As part of the two-phase review, a new State Crime Coordination Centre will be established by mid next year, boasting a high-tech hub that will collate information, intelligence and operational capability to identify links between crimes, uncover patterns, and provide real-time insights to frontline police.
But Commissioner Bush is adamant that the proposed changes are just the beginning – and that the community can expect to see a significant reduction in crime as a result. ‘We’re committed to reducing serious and violent crime by 5% each year,’ he vowed. ‘We’re in this for the long haul – and we won’t rest until our streets are safe.’