More than 500 partners from government, not-for-profits, and private industry have told us they value our people and believe we show commitment to reduce crime and keep Victoria safe.
There is a strong appetite to work with us to co-deliver services. We are aware that we cannot achieve our goals alone.
We are committed to working with our partners across community, government, and business to achieve a safer community.
Connect with partners to respond to local issues
To build community trust and confidence, we will continue to connect with our community partners through the Neighbourhood Policing Framework, and work with the community on solutions to local crime and safety concerns.
Collaborate with partners to enhance crime prevention and reduce harm
We will continue our work with road safety partners including the Department of Transport and Planning and the Transport Accident Commission to reduce the number of lives lost and serious injuries suffered on our roads and to make our roads safer. This work will include targeting road safety risks such as speed, drugs, and alcohol.
We will continue working closely with our partners to enhance practices and responses to children, young people, and other priority community groups to reduce the harm caused by family violence, sexual offending, and child abuse.
We will connect with local partners to respond to issues relating to young people to ensure that those at the greatest risk have access to the support they need.
We will expand the Embedded Youth Outreach Program to more locations, and we will launch a Victoria Police youth strategy.
We will continue to strengthen existing partnerships with criminal justice stakeholders including the courts, the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, and the Office of Public Prosecutions, generating trust and effective collaboration.
We will continuously improve and promote proactive and comprehensive disclosure practices – aiming to be consistent, fair, equitable and transparent, and exercising appropriate powers and discretion to drive productive and positive justice outcomes.
Shifts to best practice evidence-based responses across a range of community safety issues can result in changes to legislation, and in turn changes to the way we respond.
We will continue to support the implementation of new health-led models for emergency responses to mental health crises and public drunkenness, which will see reduced police involvement.
We will continue to contribute to government-led legislative reform on critical issues, including the minimum age of criminal responsibility supported by an alternative service model, bail and youth justice.
We will continue to implement recommendations from the review into the private security industry, including streamlining the licensing system and increasing enforcement presence.
Invest in and grow strategic partnerships
Technology has been, and will continue to, play an important part in how we operate.
We will work with our partners to explore the threats and opportunities presented by emerging technologies to find ways to enhance the safety of the Victorian community.
Subject to national agreement, we will support the implementation of a national firearms register.
Spotlight: The Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Program
Victoria Police is committed to reducing the number of Aboriginal young people in the criminal justice system.
As part of this commitment, the Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Program (AYCP) was introduced in November 2019.
This is an enhanced police cautioning approach that aims to improve outcomes for Aboriginal young people by diverting them from further contact with the justice system.
The AYCP provides Aboriginal young people in contact with police with an opportunity to connect with elders and culturally appropriate support services in their local area.
This connection supports young people to address the factors underlying their contact with police.
This program was developed in partnership with Aboriginal communities and draws upon local Aboriginal culture, knowledge, and communities to ensure a tailored response for young people.
The program incorporates the principles of Aboriginal self-determination, early intervention, and harm reduction.
Initially trialled in Bendigo, Dandenong and Echuca, the AYCP has now expanded to cover over 20 Local Government Areas throughout the state.
Further expansion will see five dedicated Aboriginal Cautioning Support Officers employed who will oversee the daily operation of the AYCP and support its state-wide expansion.
To develop and maintain strong partnerships across community, government, and business, we will:
- engage partners to support the design, function and cost of a national firearms register
- support a health-led response to public drunkenness with reduced police involvement
- support a health-led response to mental health crisis with reduced police involvement
- continue the roadside drug testing program to test 150,000 motorists each year
- continue to provide a targeted joint response to high-risk young people in areas of high need through the provision of an Embedded Youth Outreach Program.
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