Focus area: People

Build, train and equip our workforce

A diverse, highly trained and well-equipped workforce will allow us to adapt quickly to changing community needs and respond to emerging and new crime types.

Over the next four years, we will continue to roll out conducted energy devices to all frontline police and protective services officers (PSOs) to better protect themselves and the community.

We are targeting road users impaired by alcohol with an increased number of preliminary breath testing devices with enhanced functionality. Using evidence-based methodologies and enhanced automated number plate recognition technology, we are improving our ability to identify and manage recidivist high-risk drivers.

Modernising police facilities, including building new police stations and upgrading existing ones, will ensure our people can perform their work in safer environments.

Strengthen our culture through collaboration, innovation, and sound judgement

The Victorian community places significant responsibility and trust in Victoria Police and rightfully expects all employees to act with the highest levels of integrity and impartiality.

We continue to transform our complaints and discipline system and are revising our values, Code of Conduct and conflict of interest policies. The revised system and policies are strengthening accountability and delivering a more transparent, timely, and victim-centric process to increase community confidence.

To drive positive change at all levels we are embedding our CultureWorks program into all training, building a culture of connection and collaboration, sound judgement and innovation.

Embedding Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training is a fundamental action in the Chief Commissioner’s Statement of Commitment. The training has been embedded in the Foundation Training Program at the Victoria Police Academy and the Chief Commissioner has committed to all police, PSOs, and police custody officers (PCOs) completing the training. Following this, we will expand the training to include Victorian Public Service employees and develop refresher training.

Ensure our people are safe and well supported

The health, safety and wellbeing of our people is paramount.

We are establishing two health, safety and wellbeing hubs to support, engage, and encourage our people to be their best and focus on what matters to their colleagues and the community. The hubs will provide preventative and proactive support, focusing on maintaining the health of our people, responding to avoidable harm, and providing quality, integrated and tailored responses to support injured employees back to health. An evaluation of the initial hubs will follow to inform a potential further four hubs being established.

Building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve is key. Our employee networks provide executive-sponsored forums for discussion, support and advice, including giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees a culturally safe environment for sharing ideas and advice.

Equipping every employee with the knowledge and skills to take the responsibility and actions needed to create a workplace that is safe, respectful and inclusive of all our people is a priority.