New specialist equipment and vehicles will give Victoria Police the edge when responding to dangerous crowds and large-scale incidents, as part of the Andrews Labor Government’s record community safety investment.
The new Operations Response Unit equipment includes firearms, command and fleet vehicles.
The state-of-the-art equipment was funded as part of the Victorian Government’s $596 million Public Safety Package, announced in the 2016-17 budget.
The ORU has purchased two new firearms designed to manage incidents and identify offenders in crowded places. The firearms can discharge:
- A dye to mark offenders for later identification and arrest following an incident
- Dense foam projectiles (like a squash ball) to incapacitate dangerous offenders
- OC spray to disperse large and dangerous crowds
The Labor Government has funded new hand-delivered distraction devices for the ORU, which use smoke, flashes of light or loud noises to disperse large and dangerous crowds.
These give police another important non-lethal option when it comes to dealing with public order disturbances.
Police have also purchased a new command vehicle, which can can be used as a mobile Incident Control Centre, and provides logistical, intelligence, storage and transport solutions.
The vehicle can receive live-streamed CCTV from the frontline to help with rapid decision making and identifying offenders.
The new tools also include specialist vans to carry all equipment and personnel to support and respond to a public order incident.
The new firearms and equipment add to new resources for the ORU, including uniforms, vehicles, protective equipment, training and extra police for the specialised unit.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Police Lisa Neville
“We’re giving police the equipment, resources and technology they need to manage large-scale and dangerous situations safely and effectively.”
“This equipment will assist police when responding to large crowds or public events where individuals are a threat to police or the wider community.”
“We’re delivering the biggest ever recruitment drive and capability uplift in Victoria Police’s history, with 3,135 new police being deployed to communities that need them most.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020