Law and Order

The Coalition Government is rolling out a comprehensive program to stop the record rising violence which Victoria has suffered over the last decade. More police on the streets are implementing a tough zero tolerance approach to crime, violence and anti-social behaviour. At the same time major reforms to sentencing in Victoria are currently before the Parliament.

At the heart of our response to crime and violence is the Coalition Government’s plan to implement the biggest increase in police numbers in Victoria’s history. We are also developing a comprehensive and innovative strategy to shut down crime, violence and anti-social behaviour on public transport. Under the Coalition Government’s plan for fighting back against crime, violence and anti-social behaviour, Victorians will see:

• 1,700 extra police on the street;
• 940 Victoria Police Protective Services Officers on train stations from 6pm to last train every night;
• tougher sentences for serious offences across the board, including extended supervision orders and detention for all serious offenders;
• statutory minimum sentences for gross acts of violence, including gang attacks; and
• the abolition of suspended sentences and home detention.

Together these reforms signal an end to the soft-on-crime policies of the previous Labor Government, and they send a powerful message to all Victorians that violence, crime and anti-social behaviour will no longer be tolerated. Under the Coalition Government’s unprecedented law and order program police and the courts will work together to protect victims, punish offenders and restore justice to Victorians.

Achievements and policies implemented in the first year of Coalition Government

Attorney-General

• Brodie's Law – legislation passed to make serious bullying a criminal offence
• Sentencing reform – legislation passed to abolish suspended sentences for all serious crimes in higher courts and abolish home detention
• Restoring the independence of the Victorian Law Foundation
• Restoring balance in equal opportunity laws – legislation passed to amend the Equal Opportunity Act to:
  • remove unreasonable restrictions on single sex sport; and
  • remove Labor's unfair restrictions that would have severely limited the ability of faith-based organisations employing staff who share their beliefs
• Cutting red tape – legislation passed to reduce red tape and the use of obstructive tactics in litigation
• Restoring VCAT Major Cases Planning List – restoring the ability for significant planning approval decisions to be fast-tracked
• Fixing the Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP) – the Coalition Government has commenced an overhaul of the structure, operations and management processes of the OPP
• Family violence reform – legislation passed to protect victims of domestic violence removing the sunset provision for family violence safety notices (Family Violence Protection Amendment (Safety Notices) Act 2011)
• Trialling the use of GPS technology for the monitoring of serious offenders to improve community safety and reduce the risk of re-offending
• Introduced legislation to establish IBAC
• Introduced legislation to establish the Public Interest Monitor to appear in the public interest in applications by law enforcement agencies for telecommunications and surveillance device warrants
• Monitoring of dangerous offenders – legislation announced to allow GPS monitoring of serious offenders
• Sexting review – the Coalition Government has launched a comprehensive review into sexting – examining all of the phenomenon: its prevalence, its nature, its implications and its consequences
• Undertaken a comprehensive survey on the views of sentencing – Community Views of sentencing survey
• Reform of Double Jeopardy – introducing laws to allow retrials to be ordered by the Court of Appeal where new and compelling evidence emerges
• Provided more than $22 million over the next four years to help the Magistrates' Court reduce re-offending by offenders with mental health and other problems
• Improving access to justice – the Coalition Government provided more than $9 million to enable Community Legal Centres to continue to provide legal advice and services to Victorians

Police

• Concluded negotiations for police EBA including significant workforce productivity gains and management reforms
• Passed legislation to implement placement of Protective Services Officers (PSOs) on railway stations
• Started recruitment campaign, including funding of $212 million to recruit and train PSOs
• Met 2010–11 target for number of sworn police officers as a first step to delivering 1,700 additional police by November 2014
• Banned adults supplying alcohol to minors in a private residence unless parental consent is given, including fines of up to $7,000, supported by a $1 million education campaign
• Launched a $10 million mental health innovative research fund
• Passed legislation to implement placement of Protective Services Officers (PSOs) on railway stations
• Met 2010–11 target for number of sworn police officers as a first step to delivering 1,700 additional police by November 2014
• Introduced new antihoon legislation with increased penalties and confiscation times along with crushing of repeated hoon cars and a new hoon offence for driving an overloaded car
• Extended 85 extra trains a week between Ballarat and Wendouree
• Committed $17.8 million for the upgrade to the Police Academy to accommodate additional police and PSO recruits
• Established the Livestock and Farm Crime Specialist Group so that Victoria Police is able to provide a better respond to farm crime
• Provided $33.5 million for funding the first stage of the Coalition Government's election commitment for new police stations and police station upgrades
• Launched new website – www.camerassavelives.vic.gov.au – including detailed information about road safety cameras, camera locations, the number and value of traffic camera infringements and clear explanation of how the cameras work
• Established the framework for the appointment of Australia's first Road Safety Camera Commissioner
• Requested the Auditor-General complete a comprehensive independent audit of the Road Safety Camera program, which clearly demonstrated that cameras improve road safety and reduce road trauma
• Conducted the first phase of the roll-out of variable messaging, trailer-mounted road safety signs in regional Victoria

Emergency services

• Commissioned an independent inquiry into arrangements made by the CFA for CFA volunteers, including recruitment, training, deployment, utilisation and support of volunteers
• Ensured the rights of volunteer firefighters are enshrined in legislation with passage of the CFA Amendment (Volunteer Charter) Act through Parliament
• Invested $65.8 million to build 60 new or upgraded CFA stations and roll out 101 new firefighting vehicles within the next 12 months
• Allocated $15 million to provide Victoria's emergency services with state of the art communications
• Appointed veteran police officer Michael Hallowes as Victoria's new Emergency Services Commissioner
• Increased the Victorian State Emergency Service budget to $38.8 million in 2011–12, an increase of 13 per cent
• Provided $9.5 million to Life Saving Victoria for clubhouse upgrades and lifesaver volunteer programs
• Provided funding for pagers, regional training facility upgrades and other volunteer support initiatives

Crime prevention

• Delivering the $25 million Community Crime Prevention Program, funding grassroots crime prevention initiatives to build safer communities, which includes:
• Community Safety Fund Grants – providing grants of up to $10,000 for councils and community groups to implement practical community safety projects such as locks, lights and fencing
• Graffiti Removal and Prevention Grants – making funding between $5,000 and $25,000 available to local councils to partner with local communities across Victoria to develop and deliver local solutions to graffiti, including purpose-built community graffiti removal trailers, graffiti removal kits and anti-graffiti coating kits
• Public Safety Infrastructure Grants –
• providing grants of up to $250,000 for councils to develop public safety infrastructure such as alarm systems, lighting systems and CCTV systems
• Regional Reference Groups – listened and responded to local communities through Regional Reference Groups across Victoria to engage, support and build local community capacity to address local crime and safety issues
• Neighbourhood Watch – providing $550,000 to reinvigorate Neighbourhood Watch

Corrections

• Delivering phase one (108 beds) of the commitment for an extra 500 beds across the male prison system
• Delivering a business case for a new male prison
• Making condoms and dental dams available to prisoners for the first time, and Hepatitis C treatment for women prisoners
• Trialling the use of GPS technology for the monitoring of serious offenders to improve community safety and reduce the risk of re-offending
• Developing a new single, flexible Community Corrections Order
• Enhancing the Graffiti Removal Program to remove approximately 160,000 square metres of graffiti, involving more than 47,000 hours of unpaid community work by offenders

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