Everyone is treated fairly and with dignity and feels valued and included.

Being people-focused, confident but still humble and committed to living our values.

Being accountable, transparent and committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct.

Having empathy and being genuinely committed to responding to the needs and wellbeing of others.

Acting with honour, being fair and respectful of both the law and human rights.

Safety is at the heart of our purpose, it is fundamental to, and underpins, everything we do.

Providing a service that is agile and evolves with the community’s needs.

The Executive Command Board comprises the Chief Commissioner, all Deputy Commissioners and Deputy Secretaries, and is the primary decision-making body for Victoria Police.

The board is responsible for providing leadership, strategic direction and oversight for the organisation, and setting and modelling appropriate culture and behaviours.

As of 30 June 2024, the members of the Executive Command Board are:

• Shane Patton APM - Chief Commissioner of Police
• Wendy Steendam AM APM - Deputy Commissioner, Specialist Operations
• Ross Guenther APM - Deputy Commissioner, Public Safety and Security
• Neil Paterson APM - Deputy Commissioner, Regional Operations
• Robert Hill APM - Deputy Commissioner, Capability
• Susan Delroi - Deputy Secretary, Corporate and Regulatory Services
• Karl Kent OAM - Deputy Secretary, Information Technology and Infrastructure Services.

Command is made up of the Chief Commissioner of Police, all Deputy Commissioners, Deputy Secretaries, Assistant Commissioners, Executive Directors, Commanders, and Directors.

Command meets three times a year to discuss and link emerging community and organisational issues and strategic goals.

The Chief Commissioner is the Chief Constable and the Chief Executive Officer of Victoria Police under the Victoria Police Act 2013 and the Public Administration Act 2004 respectively.

The Chief Commissioner of Police may delegate duties, functions and powers to employees at differing ranks and levels. Decision-making occurs through Instruments of Delegation and through functional lines across the organisational and governance structures, as set out and approved by the Chief Commissioner of Police.

Executive Command Board

Meets weekly on contemporary issues and meets monthly on strategic issues.

The primary decision-making and oversight body for Victoria Police on matters that have organisation-wide impacts including, but not limited to: strategic and long-term priorities; new policy and strategic projects; financial and resourcing matters; risk management; major investment and organisational reform.

Asset Strategy Committee

Meets every three months.

Provides oversight and governance of the strategic direction and policy priorities of asset management for Victoria Police. Also improves asset management maturity and capability. It does this through its approval of the Asset Management Strategy, Asset Management Plans for each asset class, and endorsement of asset management improvement plans.

Supports the Chief Commissioner of Police and Audit and Risk Committee to fulfill their responsibilities under the Victorian Government Asset Management Accountability Framework.

Digital Transformation Committee

Meets every two months.

Provides a strategic focus on digital innovation; technology project delivery and operations; information management and cyber security. Supports the implementation of the strategy to digitally transform Victoria Police by leading cultural change and providing advice to Executive Command regarding strategic directions and digital investment priorities.

Provides oversight and advice on enterprise information management and security related priorities, governance, risk management and compliance with organisational and government Information Management Frameworks, policies, strategic direction, and associated standards.

First Peoples Committee

Meets quarterly.

Provides oversight for the implementation, delivery, monitoring and acquittal of the actions outlined in the Chief Commissioner’s Statement of Commitment, which sets out areas Victoria Police will deliver in 2023–25.

The committee is co-chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, Capability and the co-chair of the Aboriginal Justice Caucus.

Operations Committee

Meets quarterly.

Provides a risk-based approach to identifying, coordinating, and responding to significant community safety issues with a progressive focus on developing policing services. Provides a strategic focus on potential policy changes required to support both the internal and external operating environment.

Police Procurement Board

Meets every two months.

Ensures our procurement strategy delivers effective outcomes that support organisational requirements, drives value, and ensures that procurement activity is conducted efficiently and in accordance with the commercial policy, processes and practices prescribed by the Financial Management Act 1994, Victorian Government Purchasing Board policies, and the Project Development and Construction Management Act 1994.

Safety, People and Culture Committee

Meets every two months.

Provides strategic direction regarding the development of safety, people and culture-related policies, strategies, plans and frameworks. Shapes organisational responses to emerging safety, people and culture-related issues, risks, and trends. Oversees safety and people and culture-related priorities, initiatives, and projects.

State Tasking and Coordination

Meets monthly.

Leads the tasking and coordination process at the state level. The committee supports work units to address organisational priorities.

It seeks to ensure that regions and commands deploy operational resources to maximum effect to enhance community safety in line with Keeping You Safe: Victoria Police Strategy 2023–2028.

Audit and Risk Committee _(a)

Required by the Standing Directions 2018 of the Minister for Finance under the Financial Management Act 1994, the Audit and Risk Committee provides independent assurance and assistance to the Chief Commissioner of Police regarding our financial, risk, control, and compliance frameworks, in addition to our external accountability responsibilities.

Maintains effective communication with external auditors and considers recommendations from internal and external auditors.

Victoria Police Finance Board _(a)

Meets monthly.

Provides oversight of our financial management to the Victorian Government and the Chief Commissioner of Police. Provides advice on new initiatives that may assist with longer-term budget reparation and alternatives to offset permanent cost drivers and funding misalignments.

The board is co-chaired by the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) Secretary and Chief Commissioner of Police.

Note: (a) Committee includes independent members.

The Audit and Risk Committee is established under the Financial Management Act 1994. Its objective is to provide independent assurance and assistance to the Chief Commissioner of Police in relation to our risk, control and compliance framework, and external accountability responsibilities.

The committee has no executive powers, except those expressly provided by the Standing Directions 2018 of the Minister for Finance, and powers that may be delegated to it from time to time by the Chief Commissioner of Police.

All committee members are external to, and independent of, Victoria Police. The Audit and Risk Committee members as of 30 June 2024 were:

• Sandra (Sam) Andersen (Chair) LLB CPA FAICD FFin
• Leanne Close APM
• David Cullen
• Megan Haas
• Ramaswamy (Narayan) Prasad MBA FCPA GAICD.

In accordance with the Standing Directions 2018 issued under the Financial Management Act 1994 (Standing Directions), Victoria Police maintains an internal audit function (Standing Direction 3.2.2 – Internal Audit).

Where the requirement to have an internal audit function arises, internal audit provides independent and objective assessment of the efficacy of the organisation’s governance, risks, and controls. As required by the Standing Direction, the internal audit function must be independent of management.

In 2023–24, our internal audit function continues as a co-sourced arrangement under commercial contract with KPMG. Our internal audit program includes compliance and performance reviews, with outcomes and mitigation actions reported to the Executive Command Board and the Audit and Risk Committee.

Our Continuous Auditing Programs continued in 2023–24.

Continuous audit activities use data analytics to identify control issues across key business processes and systems, providing ongoing assurance and timely insight into risk and control issues to senior management.

The results of all Continuous Auditing Programs are reported to the Audit and Risk Committee quarterly.

Victoria Police may receive recommendations to enhance business practices through reviews, audits, and inquiries that are conducted internally, or by external agencies and oversight bodies.

These reviews generally result in mitigation strategies aimed at addressing the risks identified in the findings.

External reviews of Victoria Police are undertaken by a range of bodies including:

• Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO)
• Victorian Ombudsman
• Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC)
• Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner
• Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
• Coroners Court of Victoria.

We may also assist in other public Inquiries including but not limited to Royal Commissions and Parliamentary Inquiries.

The Equal, Safe & Strong: Victoria Police Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2030 (Gender Equality Strategy) sets out our plan to achieve sustainable gender equality in Victoria Police by 2030. The strategy provides the foundation for regular action plans that will hold Victoria Police accountable for gender equality outcomes.

Equal, Safe & Strong: Victoria Police Gender Equality Action Plan 2022–2024 identifies priorities and directs our efforts through 29 actions aligned to the following outcome areas:

• Our culture recognises and promotes the value of gender equality.
• Leaders take ownership and proactively sustain gender equality outcomes.
• The community has trust in our response to gendered violence.
• Gender does not restrict access to flexible work, recruitment, or progression.
• Employees have confidence in our response to gendered workplace harm.
• Gendered workplace harm is minimised.

There is a requirement under the Gender Equality Act 2020 that a Gender Impact Assessment is applied to all new and amended policies and programs.

In accordance with this and the Gender Equality Action Plan, the requirement for Gender Impact Assessments to be applied to internal policies, educational programs and policing services with direct and significant impacts on the Victorian community is now standard business practice.

Under the action plan, we also completed our two-yearly Gender Audit, as required by the Act, creating a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework to measure outcomes towards the Gender Equality Action Plan and take learnings forward into the development of future action plans.

Our Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2023–2030 aims to bring diversity, inclusion, and a sense of purpose and belonging into the leadership and operational frameworks of our organisation and supports the Gender Equality Strategy.

The framework identifies numerous actions that impact all priority diversity portfolios that are required to address diversity and inclusion culture and practices.

The framework, which is supported by four inclusion action plans, focuses on long-term transformation, knowledge building, capability, performance, and accountability to promote a diverse and progressive workforce. The inclusion action plans were informed by extensive internal and external stakeholder engagement.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2025

Victoria Police Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2025.

Building relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees is imperative if we are to set the foundations for moving together towards self-determination and cultural safety in our organisation and in our service to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Our inclusion action plan details six actions that we will deliver to improve the workplace experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees. These are:

• strengthening applicant attraction strategies
• establishing a mentoring program
• holding an annual forum
• self-determination reform
• establishing a centralised Aboriginal community liaison officer coordination function
• enhancing the Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training undertaken by all employees.

Access and Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2024

Victoria Police Access and Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2024.

This inclusion action plan details six actions underway to improve the workplace experience of employees with disability. These are:

• promoting the uptake of special measures specified in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 for VPS positions
• reviewing and upgrading accessibility of our intranet
• developing an accessibility checklist for the content and the delivery of training and development programs
• reviewing and promoting the reasonable adjustment guide and passport
• developing a formal process to ensure all software and applications are accessible for employees with disability
• ensuring all new construction and major renovations are fully accessible.

CALD Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2024

Victoria Police CALD Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2024.

We are proud to have a multicultural workplace, rich with people from different faiths, who speak different languages and have different ethnic backgrounds.

This inclusion action plan details three actions underway to improve the workplace experience of employees of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. These are:

• developing and implementing a mentoring program for CALD employees
• strengthening applicant attraction for people of CALD backgrounds
• developing a pilot CALD Peer Support program.

LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2024

Victoria Police LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2024.

This inclusion action plan details three actions underway to improve the workplace experience of employees who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning and/or asexual (LGBTIQA+). These are:

• development of an LGBTIQA+ liaison officer recruitment network
• creation of an LGBTIQA+ liaison officer workplace support guide
• development and promotion of guidelines for an inclusive workplace plan for trans and gender diverse employees and allies.

Progress towards completing the 55 Gender Equality and Diversity and Inclusion actions is monitored and governed by our Gender Equality and Inclusion Outcomes Committee.

During 2023–24, we held our second annual Aboriginal employee forum. The forum provided an opportunity for our employees to share stories of the cultural burden experienced within their roles and to discuss the support they need to feel safe both in their roles and their communities.

We supported the establishment and launch of the new Hindu Employee Network run by and for our Hindu employees. The network strives to create safe and inclusive space across the organisation to build stronger bonds and share valuable information about Hindu culture and traditions.

In February 2024, we completed an Employee Network Review in consultation with network members and command champions. The review aimed to ensure that employee networks were contemporary, by improving diversity and inclusion practices, including recruitment, retention and progression of diverse staff.

We retained our silver tier employer status in the Australian Workplace Equality Index in 2023–24. The Australian Workplace Equality Index is a measure of our inclusion of LGBTIQA+ employees.

We also conducted trans and gender diverse inclusion awareness training. We are committed to employment practices and standards that are fair, equitable and inclusive by improving our capacity to employ, develop and retain people with disability.

During 2023–24, we launched disability awareness training. The training aims to build disability confidence in all employees by covering disability essentials, workplace adjustments and inclusive recruitment.

This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to employees and the Victorian community to achieve the whole-of-government target of 12 per cent of VPS staff being people with disability by 2025.

The Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program was a partnership with us and:

• Jesuit Social Services
• Victoria University
• AMES Australia
• African-Australian Multicultural Employment and Youth Services
• Matchworks
• Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
• Jobs Victoria
• Department of Education.

This program supported applicants from culturally-diverse communities (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Māori or Pasifika applicants and applicants who are of Middle Eastern, East and South Asian, South American and African heritage) to prepare and navigate the recruitment process to become police officers, PSOs or PCOs.

The program started in 2018 and was expanded to a 15-week accredited course where students were taught entrance exam preparation skills, fitness, swimming and first aid.

All participants were matched with a Victoria Police mentor, attended a tour of the Victoria Police Academy and received presentations from guest speakers throughout the course.

Upon completion, Jesuit Social Services provided help during the recruitment phase and staff from our Centre for Law and Operational Development coordinated ongoing help and mentoring during training at the Victoria Police Academy.

Since 2018, 202 people from more than 53 cultures have completed the 15-week program. In 2023–24, 18 course graduated from the Victoria Police Academy, including 13 police officers, two PSOs and three PCOs.

The Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program formally concluded on 30 June 2024. We are truly grateful to our partners for their commitment and passion in delivering the Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program over the last six years.

Reported incidents decreased by nine per cent from the previous year, to 3809 in 2023–24.

In October 2023, we launched the Eastern Region Health and Wellbeing Hub to better equip our people to prevent injuries and act quickly when they are sustained. The Eastern Region Hub is comprised of mental health clinicians, injury management consultants, educators, psychosocial health and safety consultants, career advisors and human resources business partners.

These specialists are embedded within the region and are accessible to all Eastern Region employees. We have enhanced our Employee Assistance Program to ensure that specialist treatment is available to employees, enabling targeted care pathways.

Notes: (a) Data sourced from Victorian WorkCover Authority. The date the claim is lodged has determined which financial year it is reported in. Due to the dynamic nature of claim data, figures may vary from that reported in earlier financial years.

(b) Data reported in 2021–22 has been updated to reflect current point-in-time data and to address variance in methodology.

(c) Victoria Police regions and commands conduct quarterly OHS committee meetings, with involvement from their dedicated health and safety representatives. System capability does not extend to recording the number of meetings.

(d) Senior sergeants and above receive occupational health and safety training during promotional and mandatory annual leadership training (recruits also receive foundational training during induction). There is no specific training data that can be attributed to these groupings.

(e) Contractors and temporary employees attending a police facility sign-in and complete a station induction program. Local record keeping is not digitised.

(f) The percentage of health and safety representatives was not available in 2021–22 and 2022–23, as the total number varied. In 2023–24 a process was employed to accurately account for this variance.

The “Community safety during the day and at night” indicator reflects our efforts to improve safety and provide a secure environment for the community by measuring the level of safety that survey respondents (as a sample of Victorians) feel during the day and at night.

Source: National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing.

Notes: The “Community safety during the day and at night” measure is reported by Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (RoGS). The most recent data available for this objective indicator is 2022–23.

In 2022–23, 91.3 per cent of Victorians surveyed felt “safe” or “very safe” when walking alone in their neighbourhood during the day, which is a decrease of 0.5 percentage points when compared to 2021–22 data.

In 2022–23, 53.0 per cent felt “safe” or “very safe” walking alone at night, an increase of 1.9 percentage points compared to 2021–22 data.

In 2022–23, 87.7 per cent of Victorians felt “safe” or “very safe” at home alone during the night, recording a decrease of 0.4 percentage points when compared to 2021–22 data.

The “Community safety on public transport” indicator reflects our efforts to improve safety and provide a secure environment for the community by measuring the level of safety that survey respondents (as a sample of Victorians) feel on public transport.

Source: National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing.

Note: (a) In 2021, perceptions of safety travelling on public transport during the day changed from being asked nationally to being asked in Victoria only, and no longer reported in the Report of Government Services, Commonwealth Productivity Commission.

Metrics relating to community safety on public transport during the day were provided to Victoria Police on 4 July 2023 by The Social Research Centre.

The percentage of Victorians surveyed who reported feeling “safe” or “very safe” on public transport during the day in 2022–23 was 66.3 per cent, representing an 0.6 percentage point increase when compared to the previous year.

The percentage of Victorians surveyed who reported feeling “safe” or “very safe” on public transport at night in 2022-23 was 32.6 per cent, representing a 1.0 percentage point increase compared to the previous year.

Crime statistics are based on reports from the public and from crimes detected by police and demonstrate our progress in ensuring community safety through policing, law enforcement and crime prevention activities.

The Crime Statistics Agency is responsible for processing and publishing Victorian crime statistics, independent of Victoria Police. Visit crimestatistics.vic.gov.au for a breakdown of crime statistics.

Changes to recorded crime can be due to increased policing presence and focus on community safety, police detection and enforcement activity, the introduction of new offences or increased police powers to enforce offences. Changes may also be due to social, economic, and environmental factors, or changing public confidence in reporting crime to police.

Source: Crime Statistics Agency.

Notes: Further information about Crime Statistics Agency offence classification is available at on the Crime Statistics Agency Offence classification page.

In the 2023–24 financial year, there was an increase in total recorded crime of 9.1 per cent from 506,214 offences in 2022–23 to 552,228 in 2023–24.

Increases occurred across all listed categories, aside from a decrease in ‘public order and security offences’, which decreased by 5.7 per cent from 29,356 offences in 2022–23, to 27,691 offences in 2023–24.

Crimes against the person increased by 5.8 per cent, from 84,218 offences in 2022–23 to 89,086 offences in 2023–24. Property and deception offences increased by 14.4 per cent, from 272,701 offences in 2022–23 to 311,963 in 2023–24.

Road fatalities and injuries

Notes: (a) Due to the reclassification of road fatalities by the Road Fatality Review Panel, data may vary from that reported for earlier financial years.

(b) Data may differ from the annual figures published elsewhere, as fatality data tends to be reported by calendar year rather than financial year.

(c) Injuries include both serious and other injuries. Due to the nature of the Collision Management Information System operating as a dynamic database, data may vary from that reported for earlier financial years. In addition, there is a standard three-month lag for injuries data to be considered complete. As such, data for 2023–24 should not be considered complete.

Road policing statistics by user

Notes: (a) Due to the reclassification of road fatalities by the Road Fatality Review Panel, data previously reported for 2022–23 has been revised.

(b) Data may differ from the annual figures published elsewhere, as fatality data tends to be reported by calendar year rather than financial year.

(c) Injuries include both serious and other injuries. Due to the nature of the Collision Management Information System operating as a dynamic database, data previously reported for 2022–23 has been revised. In addition, there is a standard three-month lag for injuries data to be considered complete. As such, data for 2023–24 should not be considered complete.

Road policing statistics by area

Notes: There is a standard three-month lag for injuries data to be considered complete. As such, data for 2023–24 should not be considered complete.