Photo: Get Regional

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Police Lisa Neville joined Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton today to announce the next stage of the allocation of 3,135 new police to Victorian communities. This is on top of attrition.

The resourcing boost is part of the Labor Government’s Community Safety Statement – a record $2 billion investment that is giving police the resources, powers and laws it needs to keep Victorians safe.

Using Victoria Police’s Staffing Allocation Model, new police will be sent to communities across the state from May. Three hundred of the new police will go to stations across Victoria, while another 208 police will take on family violence specialist roles in key locations, which will free up existing police to focus on other crime.

Family violence takes up around 60 per cent of police time, with a police officer called out to attend a family violence incident every seven minutes.

The rest of the rollout includes:

• A further 93 police will work in specialist commands including intelligence and covert support, counter terrorism, road policing and transit and public safety
• An additional 121 police will help Victoria Police deliver a range of initiatives from the Community Safety Statement, including the Police Advice Line and Online Reporting and expansion of the Airwing
• The allocation of 103 police to establish a parental leave program will allow for maternity and paternity leave positions to be backfilled for the first time – putting more resources on the frontline.

Today’s announcement comes as the full roll-out of the first 300 new police – who were allocated to growth areas last year – nears completion. All 300 will be in place and protecting Victorian communities by next month.

This record investment in police and community safety is already making a difference, with the latest independent crime statistics showing that crime has decreased for two consecutive quarters – and the biggest drop in the crime rate in more than 10 years.