Four hundred policemen and women are a step closer to being redeployed to the beat after the Andrews Labor Government this week kicked off recruitment for the State’s new custody officers.
Minister for Police Wade Noonan today said the Government was delivering on its election commitment to free up sworn police officers to get them back on the front line to support community safety.
The Government has invested $148.6 million to recruit, train and deploy 400 custody officers across Victoria over the next three years.
Recruitment will begin first for Sunshine, Dandenong, Heidelberg, Ballarat, Geelong and Broadmeadows police stations, with other locations to follow.
Victoria Police are seeking applicants who want to help police serve their community, who can communicate with people from a range of backgrounds, and can respond to issues in a changing environment.
The custody officers will be responsible for managing people in police custody, including supervising prisoners and escorting them to and from court.
Custody officer legislation will be introduced into Parliament in the coming weeks, with the first squad due to start training at the Victoria Police Academy in December.
As part of their training officers will be working in police stations towards the end of December, with initial deployment in January.
For more information about becoming a custody officer, visit
Quotes attributable to Minister for Police Wade Noonan
“This Government is delivering on our election commitments.”
“These officers will play a critical role in community safety - managing prisoners in police cells and freeing up sworn police to return to the beat.”
Reviewed 10 February 2021