Safe from Harm: Significant Victoria Police initiatives

Victoria Police begins co-chairing 18 Risk Assessment and Management Panels (RAMPs) across the state.

RAMPs are formally convened meetings of key local agencies and organisations who conduct a multi-agency risk assessment of people who are at high risk of serious harm from family violence.

Release of the Code of Practice for the Investigation of Sexual Crime, governing the Victoria Police response to, and investigation of sexual crime.

Establishment of the Centre for Family Violence (CFV), providing contemporary and engaging specialist family violence training and education, equipping Victoria Police staff with the knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver high quality responses and investigations.

Deployment and training of 21 Family Violence Training Officers across Victoria Police to provide immediate practice guidance to frontline police and specialist investigators and advise the CFV on priorities for training development.

Establishment of the Inter-Agency Information Sharing Service (IISS), a centralised information sharing and record-keeping service.

The IISS provides information to prescribed Information Sharing Entities (ISEs) under the Family Violence and Child Information Sharing Schemes, and coordinates responses to the Commission for Children and Young People in relation to the Reportable Conduct Scheme and Child Safe Standard notifications.

Alignment of policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools to the Victorian Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework.

The Central Information Point begins operation, with Victoria Police and other Victorian government agencies working in partnership to produce consolidated reports about family violence perpetrators.

Establishment of the Specialist Investigators Support Unit, a team of psychologists and social workers to provide proactive support to specialist family violence, sexual offences and child abuse investigators.

New Wyndham MDC established, bringing the total number of MDCs state-wide to eight.

29 Family Violence Investigation Units established to provide specialist, victim-centric responses to family violence.

The Family Violence Case Prioritisation and Response Model is introduced to identify the highest risk cases. These cases are prioritised by FVIUs with tailored risk management to best prevent serious harm.

The Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Disruption Guide is published internally, uplifting policy capability to proactively identify, respond to and investigate reports of CSE, as well as ensuring vital intelligence linked to CSE is gathered.

A state-wide rollout of Digitally Recorded Evidence in Chief begins to allow pre-recorded evidence-in-chief interviews with victim survivors of family violence.

Establishment of the Sexual Offences and Family Violence Unit to investigate family violence, sexual offences and sexual harassment (including predatory behaviour) perpetrated by employees of Victoria Police.

Launch of STOPIT – a text-based service enabling the public to notify Victoria Police of non-emergency unwanted sexual behaviours on public transport.

Introduction of a Stalking Pilot, including the Screening Assessment for Stalking and Harassment (SASH) tool, to improve responses to stalking.

Launch of organisation-wide CSE training and support through a mandatory e-learning package, based on our CSE Disruption Guide. assisting police to proactively respond to and investigate reports of CSE.

Re-release of the Code of Practice for the Investigation of Family Violence, incorporating significant reforms post-Royal Commission into Family Violence.

Legislation passes introducing a new affirmative consent model for sexual assault, and Victoria Police undertakes a range of reform activities to implement the new legislation.

Release of the new Outcomes Framework and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan and embeds it into internal governance structures to measure outcomes rather than volume.

Project trial in Victoria’s North West to increase organisational understanding of predominant aggressor misidentification.

The trial provides evidence needed to inform and drive the overall program of work and to continue to improve police responses to misidentification.