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Record Police Investment Delivers Community Safety

21 December 2018

The fourth Community Safety Statement Assurance Report highlights the Andrews Labor Government’s progress in delivering the largest law and order reform in Victoria’s history.

The latest report, released today, confirms the work being done to strengthen Victoria Police, crack down on crime and deliver better community safety for all Victoria.

As Community Safety Trustee, Ron Iddles OAM APM is tasked with monitoring the progress of the Labor Government’s historic Community Safety Statements, which are backed by record funding of more than $2 billion.

The report confirms the Government has established a transparent approach for monitoring and reporting. It notes strong governance, consultation and resources are in place to enable the government to track progress towards statement outcomes.

The report points to 27 new initiatives that will be tracked following the release of the Community Safety Statement 2018/19 in April.

This is on top of the 60 commitments identified in Community Safety Statement 2017, which included funding for 3,135 new police, new technology, better facilities and stronger laws to combat crime.

It includes new powers to better prevent and respond to terrorist incidents, more people and tools to investigate online offending, funding for mobile police stations, new prison beds and more mental health support for our current and former police officers.

The first 300 new police have already hit the beat, with a further 825 police, including family violence specialists, to be deployed by the middle of next year.

We have also delivered 400 new police custody officers, the deployment of the first 25 Protective Service Officers to keep Victorians safe on the train network and an additional 40 police for the Public Order Response Team.

Victoria Police is also deploying mobile technology to officers on the frontline, a cutting-edge intelligence system that can analyse more than 86 million records in seconds, and body worn cameras to 61 police stations.

These reforms are starting to have a real impact with a 3.9 per cent decrease in the crime rate, according to the latest Crime Statistics Agency data for the 12 months to 30 September 2018.

For more information go to justice.vic.gov.auExternal Link

Quotes attributable to Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville

“Our record investment in Victoria Police – giving them the powers, tools and resources they need to keep the community safe – is making a real difference, but we know there’s more to do.”

“We’re turning around a six-year trend as crime rates continue to drop in Victoria, by delivering 3,135 new police officers and new laws to keep the community safe.”

“I’d like to thank the Community Safety Trustee Ron Iddles for his continued oversight of this historic commitment to community safety.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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