Question details
Police conduct
(909) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Attorney-General, and the action I seek is for the release of the final report on the systemic review of police oversight or, if that is not yet available, any draft versions of its findings and recommendations. In response to recommendation 61 of the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants, the Department of Justice and Community Safety in 2021 was tasked with undertaking the systemic review of police oversight.
This followed the disclosure that the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) currently investigates only around 2 per cent of police misconduct complaints, allowing officers abusing their powers to go unchecked and without consequence. IBAC’s review highlighted evidence of cover-ups by police officers, failures to address investigating officers’ conflicts of interest and failures to contact key witnesses. The Attorney-General claimed in the 2022 annual progress report that this work was completed and that the government was considering options for reform, yet these options have still not seen the light of day and have been deliberately concealed from the public. The government said in 2021 it was committed to learning from the IBAC committee and ensuring the highest oversight system for the Victorian police force. Consultations for this review closed in February 2022. During that year 28 women were murdered in this state due to family violence. The government then told us two years later this April – only after 35 women had been murdered – they would act on the epidemic of violence against women in this country.
We know that the police system is a substantial part of the problem. The process of complaints of violence or threats of violence begins and all too often ends at police stations. We also know that contact with the justice system is detrimental to our youth and their futures. Instead of raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 and addressing the systemic racism and over-policing of First Nations children, the government wants to provide police with new, expansive powers in the youth justice reforms without releasing the findings of police oversight and misconduct in this state. The Yoorrook Justice Commission recommended in September 2023 that the government establish a new, independent police oversight authority, and if this government wants to change male violence against women and youth crime then it needs to hold Victorian police to account, and I seek for the Attorney-General to release the final report of the systemic review of police oversight.
I thank Ms Purcell for her question about the status and outcomes of the systemic review of police oversight undertaken by the Department of Justice and Community Safety.
The Victorian Government expects the highest standards of conduct from Victoria Police, and we are committed to doing the work to build a strong police integrity and accountability system that is culturally safe and includes appropriate independent oversight of police corruption and misconduct.
The systemic review of police oversight focused on understanding the lived experience of complainants, and I thank participants for sharing their stories. All feedback will be carefully considered to ensure that the changes we make address the concerns we have heard about.
That review, together with a number of other processes including the Yoorrook Commission, the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants, and the 2018 IBAC Parliamentary Committee Inquiry into police oversight will all inform the development of options for reform.
Given the complexity and importance of this work, we are taking the time to get it right, and make sure that the model we move toward will keep police accountable, meet the needs of our diverse communities, and keep all Victorians safe, including victim survivors of family violence and Aboriginal people.
The Department of Justice and Community Safety will begin targeted consultation on proposed reforms later this year.
In the meantime, significant work has already occurred at IBAC to realign its approach to police oversight, including improvements to complaint assessment and response processes; a stronger focus on complainants disproportionately impacted by police misconduct; and targeted training and support for Victoria Police personnel. Government will continue to work with IBAC to ensure they have the tools they need to do their job.
We also continue to support Victoria Police to change their complaints process to make sure that it is accessible, fair and transparent, and that that people feel safe to make a complaint.
As you will be aware, the Chief Commissioner of Police appeared before the Yoorrook Justice Commission and issued a formal and unreserved apology to the Aboriginal community for police actions that have caused or contributed to the trauma experienced by so many Aboriginal families in Victoria.
This apology includes a commitment to delivering 79 actions by the end of 2025, including in relation to Victoria Police’s handling of complaints by Aboriginal people. Victoria Police has also committed to coordinate, support and review the statewide implementation of local Police and Aboriginal Community Protocols Against Family Violence with the Aboriginal community.
In relation to police interactions with children, the Youth Justice Bill proposes proportionate powers to make sure that in rare situations where a child aged 10 or 11 – who can no longer be arrested for alleged offending but who may still present a risk of serious harm to themselves or others – can be transported somewhere safe. This will enable police to keep the child and the community safe. The transport powers have been designed to minimise the exposure of young children to the criminal justice system. There are also strong safeguards, including a requirement that police must take reasonable steps to minimise the risk of serious harm before taking a child into their care and control for transport purposes.
Victoria is leading the nation in its commitment to addressing family violence, having implemented all 227 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence. This includes major investments in family violence policing and improving Victoria Police’s capability to respond, such as:
- establishing Australia’s first Family Violence Command to lead police efforts to combat family violence
- funding 415 new specialist family violence police officers to transform the police response to family violence; and
- funding a new Family Violence Centre of Learning at the Police Academy.
Victoria is also the first Australian jurisdiction to trial a Screening Assessment for Stalking and Harassment (SASH) tool for police. The tool requires police to consider risk factors when taking reports of stalking in non-family violence context and assists with prioritisation and ensuring appropriate safety planning for victims.
The SASH pilot started at two sites in February 2022 and is now being expanded. Early indications suggest the tool is supporting a more comprehensive understanding and response to stalking.
Our justice system has come a long way in responding to violence against women – but there’s always more we can do.
This is why the Government is delivering a new package of reforms that will change laws, change culture, and deliver new supports for victim survivors when they need it most. We will introduce a presumption of a new minimum length for Family Violence Intervention Orders, changes to the service of FVIO’s, change the offence of stalking so it’s easier and clearer to apply and we will make improvements to Personal Safety Intervention Orders.
Jaclyn Symes MP
Attorney-General
Minister for Emergency Services