2006 State Election - Policy Announcements 

The State Liberals have made a series of policy announcements over the past week.  The policies are detailed below.

Click here to view the media release

LIBERAL GOVERNMENT’S PLAN TO SUPPORT VICTORIA POLICE

1. Ensure increased proactive and visible local policing

A  Liberal Government will ensure increased proactive and visible local policing including:

• Increased community police bike patrols,
• Increased foot patrols in shopping centres, and
• Increased divisional van patrols in residential streets and regular problem areas.

2. Support and fund the immediate deployment of stun guns to all police stations

A  Liberal Government would immediately provide funding and authorise Victoria Police to deploy Taser stun guns to all police stations across Victoria for use by appropriately trained Victoria Police members in direct confrontational and dangerous situations. 

3. Use of security surveillance cameras in crime ‘hot-spots’

A  Liberal Government will expand the use of security surveillance cameras linked to local police stations in designated crime ‘hot spots’.

4. Establish Police Professional Registration Board

A  Liberal Government will establish a Police Professional Registration Board providing police members with the ability to exit and return to Victoria Police within an agreed time period. 
Applicants for re-entry will be assessed regarding their competence and any refresher training will be determined on an individual case by case basis.

5. Maternity leave replacements to boost frontline response

A  Liberal Government will ensure that gaps left in the front line caused by Victoria Police members taking maternity leave will be filled.

6. Ensure a complete ‘Resource Requirement Audit’ is performed

A  Liberal Government will ensure that a ‘Resource Requirement Audit’ is performed, in consultation with the Chief Commissioner and the Police Association, in each Victoria Police regional area to ascertain the minimum acceptable number of police required to maintain community safety. 

7. Support increased funding of DNA testing

A  Liberal Government will provide an additional $17 million funding to the Victorian Forensic Science Centre to ensure that DNA testing of crime samples is performed in a timely and efficient manner to world’s best practice.
Increased support of the Victorian Forensic Science Centre is critical in ensuring a dramatic turnaround in investigatory delays, currently being up to 18 months, and that offenders are apprehended quickly in order to reduce their opportunity to carry out follow up crimes.

8. Introduce serious penalties for assaults on police

A  Liberal Government will ensure that violent assaults against on duty police are severely punished through significantly increased penalties.  The murder of a police member will carry a life sentence.

9. Ensure police can perform normal duties in good faith without fear of civil litigation

A  Liberal Government will substantially improve legislative provisions to indemnify police members against legal costs or damages awarded in civil litigation where those proceedings have resulted from police carrying out their normal duties in good faith.
Police members must be allowed to go about performing their normal duties in good faith without the current constant fear of civil litigation by vexatious parties.

10. Ensure Victoria Police fight vexatious complaints

A  Liberal Government will provide additional funding to ensure Victoria Police actively pursue vexatious claims.  Victoria Police will be encouraged and supported to more vigorously defend civil cases in court rather than decide to settle out of court.

11. Ensure seriously injured police receive adequate compensation

A  Liberal Government will ensure that police members and other emergency services workers who are seriously injured as a direct result of a criminal offence, such as gunshot, stabbing or other serious personal injury, receive additional appropriate compensation in addition to any worker's compensation entitlement.
Police members must be able to perform their normal duties with full knowledge that if they are seriously injured as a result of a criminal offence they and their families will be adequately compensated.

12. Ensure clear separation of powers between Victoria Police and Government

A  Liberal Government is committed to ensuring that there is a clear separation of powers between Victoria Police, the Minister for Police and the State Government.   Only the Chief Commissioner of Police will be able to authorise, following a written request, the release of information to a political party, a minister, or ministerial staff.  This power will be solely that of the Chief Commissioner of Police and will not be able to be delegated.

13. Ensure latest technology to reduce paperwork and put police back on the beat

A Liberal Government will ensure that resources are made available to the Chief Commissioner to enable Victorian police members to have, at their disposal, the most advanced technology and equipment available to reduce paperwork and put police back on the beat.  This initiative will include:

• An upgrade of IT equipment and software including improved networking, database linking and electronic document handling and storage.
• Adequate resources to see that appropriate and relevant training in the use of new technology is made available to all Victoria Police members and civilian employees.

14. Re-establish the Police Schools Involvement Programme

A Liberal Government will re-establish the Police Schools Involvement Programme (PSIP).
The PSIP was a successful scheme until it was axed by the Bracks Government whereby police visited schools and led anti-crime and good citizenship initiatives.
The good work that this scheme did through dealing with low level risks of criminal behaviour before they become more serious was of immeasurable benefit.

15. Introduce Cops in Shops

A Liberal Government will adopt an initiative pioneered in the United States whereby police are located on premises in shopping centres, malls and entertainment precincts.
The first project under this initiative will be a kiosk located the in Ballarat Shopping Precinct.
The premises will be accessible to the community and will become a point of contact between local people and the police, also serving to deter anti-social behaviour in public places.

16. Re-establish Stolen Livestock Squad

A Liberal Government is committed to re-establishing the Stolen Livestock Squad to specifically combat rural crimes such as livestock theft.

17. Enact ‘Move On’ Laws

Police currently do not have the power to give a direction to a person or group of people in a public place whose behaviour, whilst not constituting an offence, is reasonably suspected of being anti-social (e.g. likely to cause offence, harassment or fear).
The Liberal Party will act immediately to introduce ‘Move On’ laws, similar to those in NSW, that allow police to direct people acting in an antisocial manner to leave an area and not return.
The legislation would specify that any direction given by a police officer could not relate to a genuine demonstration, protest or organised assembly.

 

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Other 2006 State Election Policy Announcements

A Liberal Government plan to grow jobs and strong industries  

The Liberal plan for Victorian Fisheries

The Liberal language policy

Motorcycle Levy Policy

More Liberal Party Policies