Crime Command

The Victoria Police Crime Command's role is to conduct high level specialist investigations to detect, disrupt and prevent serious and organised crime.

Crime Command's key goals are to:

minimise the harm caused to the Victorian community by serious and organised crime
create a hostile environment for crime
increase community confidence in our ability to prevent and reduce crime
develop and build our investigative standards, capability and response

Crime Command's Core responsibilities are to:

Prevent crime from occurring through early, intelligence-led detection; forecasting emerging crime themes; developing multi-agency strategies for target hardening and crime reduction; increasing community awareness.
Detect and stop offenders through a swift and effective investigative response; proactive investigations; and through working in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, industry and the community.
Reduce the likelihood and incidence of crime and repeat victimisation through incapacitation of individuals and networks, successful convictions and legislative reform for tougher penalties
Disrupt repeat offenders through targeted operations that focus on prolific and career criminals and active end-to-end involvement in prosecutions to achieve successful criminal justice outcomes
Strengthen the safeguards against crime through increasing community engagement and resilience building, evaluating interventions – locally and globally – to identify best practice and providing a continual visible presence and messaging

Crime Command's focus and priorities are:
- investigative focus on high level and organised crime by targeting individuals and organisations listed on the National and Regional Criminal Target List
- investigative focus on gangs, particularly outlaw motorcycle gangs
- investigative focus on homicides, firearms related crime and other violent crime
- continued investigative focus on illicit drugs, particularly those causing the greatest harm to the community (methamphetamine)
- investigative response to sex offences and child exploitation, including cold-case investigations into unsolved homicides and serious sex offences
- security
- resourcing of sensitive task forces
- regional support – supporting Regions with their investigative response to serious crime and organised crime
- capability development – building our organisational capability to deal with family violence, sex offences and child abuse, cybercrime, financial crime, unexplained wealth and criminal proceeds
- crime reduction – working in partnership with industry and other key stakeholders to develop Crime reduction strategies, particularly in the areas of financial fraud, retail and vehicle theft, and online child exploitation.
The role of Arson and Explosives is to respond to and provide primary investigation accountability for offences including:
- suspicious fire deaths (or injury likely to result in death)
- bombs and/or explosive devices
- fatalities involving wildfire/bushfire
Respond to and provide support to police across the state for offences including:
- fire-related death, suicide or life threatening and or significant serious injuries
- politically motivated fires
- complex suspicious fires
- intentionally or recklessly causing a bushfire
Arson and Explosives Squad strives to provide a dedicated specialist investigation group to:
- target organised, serial, or recidivist offenders
- maintain and develop subject matter consultants in arson and explosives and maintain investigation guidelines
- this squad works with VPFSC Fire and Explosion Section and Bomb Response Unit.
The Missing Persons Squad investigates suspicious missing persons cases.
They investigate when a missing person case includes:
- a suspicious disappearance where homicide is the probable cause
- unidentified human remains where homicide is suspected.
The Missing Persons Squad also provide specialist guidance and support to local police, in circumstances where:
- a person has been missing for more than 30 days (also known as a long-term missing person)
- a person is missing in suspicious circumstances
- a missing person is considered high risk and requires an escalated response
- a deceased person remains unidentified after three days.
Find out more about how you can report a person missing, and further resources on how you can to help find missing persons in Victoria.
The Organised Motor Vehicle Theft Squad (OMVTS) was renamed the Vehicle Crime Squad (VCS) on the 1 July, 2014. The squad is comprised of specialist criminal investigators and intelligence operatives.

Investigative operations range from the international and interstate importation of stolen vehicles, organised vehicle re-birthing, targeted investigations on groups, preventive operations and extensive industry liaison and interaction. The Tasking and Coordination Committee is responsible for approving all operations.

The squad engages in short, medium and long-term operations that are reactive and proactive in nature. This includes the use of traditional investigative methods and an extensive use of physical and electronic surveillance, criminal informers, covert police operatives, forensic accountants and a wide range of specialist services. The squad has adopted a multi-disciplinary approach involving liaison and joint investigative efforts with other State and Federal government regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies.

The Vehicle Crime Squad:
- identifies, investigates and prosecutes, prevents and disrupts professional motor vehicle theft activity
- maintains operational liaison and cooperation with regional Vehicle Theft Task Groups, external law enforcement and relevant government regulatory agencies
- liaises and formulates coordinated partnerships with vehicle industry stakeholders in order to reduce the impact of professional motor vehicle theft activity

About us

Updated 27 November 2024