Victoria Police is set to streamline its executive team and redirect more officers to frontline duties as part of a significant reform aimed at curbing rising crime rates across the state. On Monday, Chief Commissioner Mike Bush unveiled a proposed organizational restructure designed to “free up police from administrative burden” and increase their street presence.
“We have a crime problem here in Victoria,” Bush stated, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. “The levels of offending we are seeing in our community are entirely unacceptable.” The restructuring plan includes a reduction in the number of centralized commands and departments, with the executive team being slimmed down to reinvest in frontline policing.
Under these changes, the number of deputy positions will decrease from six to four, although Bush noted that feedback from staff would be considered before finalizing these numbers. The announcement comes as the state grapples with a record-breaking crime wave. According to Crime Statistics Agency data, offences in Victoria during the 12 months to July rose by more than 15.7% compared to the previous year, amounting to 86,587 additional crimes.
New Initiatives to Combat Crime
Among the reforms is the establishment of a deputy commissioner of prevention, community, and partnership, who will primarily focus on youth crime. “They’re [youths] committing some really serious crimes, and some of them mean a life imprisonment,” Bush remarked. “There’s got to be an early intervention end and there’s got to be a consequence end.”
In an effort to address the issue, approximately 15,000 machetes have been confiscated from the streets, with Bush noting the importance of consistent punishment for serious crimes. “If you’re going to commit a serious crime, commit serious harm against other people, you need to know what’s going to happen to you,” he asserted.
Administrative Changes to Enhance Efficiency
Victoria Police has also proposed several initiatives to drive internal change, including a trial that will release sworn officers from police station reception counter duties. “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,” Bush said, reflecting on his first three months in the role. He reassured the community that these services would continue, but would be handled by public servants or police custody officers instead.
This shift is expected to free up 1.4 million personnel hours annually, allowing officers to return to the streets more quickly. Additionally, a new State Crime Coordination Centre will be established by mid-next year, featuring a high-tech hub to collate information, intelligence, and operational capability. “Using advanced data and technology, the centre will identify links between crimes, uncover patterns, and provide real-time insights to frontline police,” Victoria Police stated.
Addressing Community Trust and Confidence
Beyond rising crime rates, Bush acknowledged the community’s loss of trust and confidence in Victoria Police as a significant issue. While he described the restructure as a “rearranging of current resources,” he emphasized that staff would have the opportunity to provide feedback on the changes. “We will take into consideration that feedback and perhaps within the next three months we’ll land on exactly what this looks like at the top end,” he said. “[But] my mission is to complete this work, or at least get it semi-established, within 12 months.”
Although Bush did not specify the cost of the restructure, he assured that it would be managed internally. The proposed changes are part of a two-phase review, with the second phase scheduled for early next year.
Support from The Police Association Victoria
Wayne Gatt, Secretary of The Police Association Victoria, expressed understanding of the need to address the challenges facing the state. “A frontline and preventative focus is something we’ve long advocated for and will continue to support,” he stated. “We will take some time to consider the changes made under this review and we will have an open dialogue with all of our members, both those directly impacted and our membership more broadly, about its impacts on their work going forward.”
The move represents a significant shift in strategy for Victoria Police as it seeks to tackle crime more effectively and restore public confidence. As the reforms take shape, the focus will remain on ensuring that the community feels safer and more secure.
