Important reforms to bolster the work of Victoria Police and aim at keeping the Victorian community safe have been introduced to the Victorian Parliament.
The Justice Legislation Amendment (Police and Other Matters) Bill 2022 delivers changes to assist police effectively undertake their day-to-day operations and continue to deliver the expected services to the community.
This legislation will grant police new powers to protect the security of police premises.
This involves allowing officers to remove people from premises, including police stations, that do not have legitimate reason to be there or pose a threat to the peace.
This is different from current laws which only permits officers to remove people that have committed an offence.
The legislation also establishes a framework for the Restorative Engagement and Redress Scheme which supports current and former police officers who have experienced sexual harassment or discrimination in the workplace, providing more privacy protections for participants.
Police can currently only enter into agreements with commercial operators for additional police services inside events but cannot recover costs for services outside venues such as traffic management and managing crowd behaviour.
Minister for Police Lisa Neville says they are delivering necessary but sensible reforms to support the Victoria Police.
“These reforms also deliver increased integrity measures, ensuring police using and disclosing information appropriately, and giving the Chief Commissioner greater disciplinary powers where officers have broken the law.”
These changes build on the state governments $4.5 billion investment into the police force.
