white paper on police resources

8/6/2019 White Paper on Police Resources

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WHY POLICE NUMBERS MATTER

There is indisputable evidence from around the world that the bigto crime is police visibility and the certainty of getting seen and ca

That is why police numbers matter.

But we have to go beyond the bald numbers to get the full picturemeaningful numbers are the ones that count the number of policeduties, not the ones trapped behind desks. In sporting parlance, ithe ball that matter.

The usual State Government response to calls for more police is Government has promised and delivered 1400 extra police since1999.

But this response totally ignores the ‘numbers-at-the-ball’ factor. enormous drift away from operational duties to special services ounrelated to crime on the streets. It ignores the huge increase in work caused by many developments including the increased comlaw. It ignores the rapid population growth and the stresses that growth suburbs.

This extract from a police focus group discussion conducted by G

January demonstrates just one way policing has changed to dimistreet patrol:

“The amount of hours that are put into domestics (disputes) has gone throughit’s nothing for a domestic to take up to half to three quarters of a shift. Annight. Then you have to go back to court over and over again. The commitaccountability has gone through the roof. It’s not about enforcing the law anycovering our ass in case someone wants to sue us.”

In March this year, the Police Association of Victoria conducted roster in Victoria. It revealed that more than 1000 members wefront line positions, leaving most stations running at 70 to 80 pThe “black hole” was created mostly by vacant positions and other non-operational areas.



The Police Association recognises that policing has changed in ways in the past 10 years. The impact of the war on terro

underestimated, We live in a more complex and tense worldsecure vulnerable sites. The increasing demands of professmore training and many processes such as the execution of have become very labor intensive.

“We need more numbers where it matters. We need to be more visible. Gangsif it is obvious there are coppers around. If drivers see police on the roads, I cafor the next 20 to 50 kilometres, they will not speed. People are not stupid. It avisibility.” Police officer in focus group, January 2008

The handling and servicing of briefs mean than police are nowmore time on paperwork than they did 10 years ago. New technorecording processes which take more time.

“We need more members on the beat and not sitting in offices fiddling statisticfocus group”, Police officer in focus group, January 2008

These trends keep police off the front line and have an impact onpolice officers who are overworked and under-resourced. There halarming increase in applications for medical discharge. There is increase in Workcare claims for stress. There are signs of increaspsychiatric illness.

“The paperwork is a killer. It’s a welfare issue as well. We have to stay back apaperwork to catch up because we don’t have time to do it during our shift. Y

days off. The missus cracks the shits because you are not home and you nehave even had to come in during leave and so has every other member in officer in focus group, January 2008

Many cities and countries around the world have had to face tnew world of policing. In general, the countries and cities who hacrime rates have been the ones that have increased their poliratios. In the US, police budgets increased 33% in the 10 yearafter adjusting for inflation. In the US, there are about 1 millionabout one for every 300 people. In Victoria, we have one office400 people.*

Recent Productivity Commission figures show Victoria spends lesany other police force in the country. It is not good enough.



How do we compare? Victoria has the lowest number of police peState in Australia at 2.16 per 1000. Chicago has 4.7, Philadelphia

4.4, Washington 6.3 and Boston 3.7. The London metropolitan aVictoria would need about 6000 more police to bring us into line wthese cities.*

“We feel sorry for the community because we are not providing what we shouWe’re not catching the crooks and we’re not stopping the crime that we are embecause we’re too busy doing bullshit in the station whereas they could get sothat and get the coppers out doing what they are meant to be doing.” Police ofJanuary 2008

Public opinion surveys in the past year have shown consistently torder and street crime are amongst the biggest issues in the minVictorian public. Most Victorians believe crime is increasing and anumber do not feel safe at night in their own communities.

Overworked police are becoming increasingly frustrated and feel the police hierarchy.

“The Victoria Police has gone too warm and fuzzy. The crooks love it – they locup of tea. Force Command probably thinks they are going in the right directiocopper’s point of view from the divvy van, I joined up to catch crooks and takedon’t get time to do that any more.” Police officer in focus group

An increasing number feel unsafe during incidents because they up is not nearby and they do not have modern weapons such as

semi-automatic pistols.

“We need to be given the power back to win over the streets and make the strhitting them with feathers or wet tram tickets. We should be able to use a justito stop what is happening.” Police officer in focus group, January 2008

They feel there is a general decline in respect for police, especiayoung people, caused by the visible powerlessness of police agacrime.

“Twenty years ago there was an unwritten law that you just don’t touch coppeexist any more. Even just wearing the uniform puts you at risk. There’s a lot mused. A lot more violence, different cultures, clashes.” Police officer in focus g

Our police merely want to do their job for the community. The ob

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