Victoria Police has announced a wide-ranging overhaul of its operations, the first major organisational transformation in a decade. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush unveiled a five-point strategy aimed at tackling the state’s persistent crime issues and increasing response times statewide.
The reorganisation targets the minimisation of the administrative workload for sworn police officers, who spend up to four to six hours per shift filling forms and doing other desk work. Through the new regimen, administrative staff will perform these duties, allowing operational officers to work on frontline policing and community interactions.
Administrative Staff to Take Care of Paperwork and Reception Work
One of the most important reforms is to take sworn police officers out of reception counters and watchhouse work. They will be replaced by non-operational staff members who will engage in public dealings at police stations. The reallocation of responsibility will save around 1.4 million hours of personnel every year. This time will be redirected to active policing work, such as patrol and crime prevention work. The change is a complete rethink of the way the force spends its human resources.
New Command Centre to Enhance Emergency Response
A new 24-hour command centre will be set up as part of the restructure. The complex is aimed at providing a lift to the police response to criminal activity, including tackling issues of youth crime and organised crime in the state.
Chief Commissioner Bush explained that the force must implement alternative policing techniques and framed the changes as a required reboot. He underlined that officers would be more able to deter crimes by being out in public spaces as a visible presence rather than stuck behind administrative work at police stations.
The restructuring will involve the cutting of jobs at senior levels within the force. Cuts are to be made in top-ranking positions under the organisational restructuring. Specific information regarding the number of jobs involved has not been released.
They will take effect straight away and will be reviewed for their impact to ensure they are effective. Chief Commissioner Bush laid out a bold challenge of decreasing serious criminal offending by five per cent each year for five years. The Police Association said it would back the preventative policy and that it would take time to work through the extent of the changes.
News at a Glance
- Victoria Police to announce first top-down restructure in a decade
- Administrative staff will fill out papers rather than sworn police officers
- Police officers taken off reception counters and watchhouses
- New 24-hour command centre to be built
- Reforms to save 1.4 million staff hours per year
- Proposed job cuts at higher-ranking positions
- Target to decrease serious crime by five per cent per year for five years
- Reforms in place immediately, with future review to be conducted
- Police Association expresses support for a preventative approach
FAQs
1. Why is Victoria Police restructuring now?
The restructure addresses concerns about rising crime rates and represents the first major organisational change in a decade. The aim is to place more officers in the community rather than behind desks completing paperwork.
2. How will the restructure affect police station services?
The public will continue to be served at police stations, but they will be helped by administrative staff instead of sworn police officers. This enables operational officers to concentrate on active policing functions.
3. When will the changes start?
The restructure will take effect immediately. The changes will be kept under review to assess whether they are working effectively toward the objective of crime reduction.
4. How much time will be saved by this reorganisation?
The police department estimates that about 1.4 million personnel hours will be saved annually by having administrative personnel do paperwork and reception work rather than sworn officers.
5. What is the purpose of this reorganisation?
The main aim is to cut serious criminal offending by five per cent annually for five years. This will be done through boosting police presence in neighbourhoods and enhancing response times to offences.
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