VICTORIA POLICE ANNUAL REPORT 2016 – 2017 REPORT ANNUAL POLICE VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2016 – 2017 CONTACT DETAILS Head Office Victoria Police Centre 637 Flinders Street (GPO Box 913) Docklands VIC 3008 PH: (03) 9247 6666 Statement of availability of other information Financial Reporting Direction (FRD) 22H of the Financial Management Act 1994 requires that certain categories of information not contained in the Annual Report be available on request. Additional information about Victoria Police may be obtained from our website www.police.vic.gov.au Further information may be obtained by writing to: Chief Commissioner GPO Box 913 Docklands VIC 3008 Victoria Police pay respect to the traditional owners of lands on which we live and work. We pay our respects to Elders and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who continue to care for their country, culture and people. Authorised and published by Victoria Police. Victoria Police Centre 637 Flinders Street, Docklands VIC 3008 www.police.vic.gov.au Print managed by Finsbury Green. This publication is available in PDF format on the internet at www.police.vic.gov.au Consistent with the DataVic Access Policy issued by the Victorian Government in 2012, relevant information included in this Annual Report will be available at www.data.vic.gov.au in electronic readable format. © State of Victoria (Victoria Police) 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the State of Victoria (through Victoria Police). ISSN 2202-9672 (Print) ISSN 2202-9680 (Online) Published October 2017 This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information is this publication. CONTENTS FOREWORD FROM THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER 1. ABOUT VICTORIA POLICE 2. OUR PERFORMANCE 3. YEAR IN REVIEW 4. APPENDICES 5. FINANCIALS FOREWORD FROM THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER In accordance with the Financial Management Act 1994, I am pleased to present the Victoria Police Annual Report for the 2016-2017 financial year. This financial year is seeing the delivery of major The Community Safety Statement 2017 delivers projects that will continue to modernise Victoria Police. funding for significant reforms. These include the These projects provide the right skills, equipment and introduction of new technology and much-needed technology to help us meet our current and future infrastructure upgrades. challenges. We have also improved our structures and We have increased our workforce with large numbers broadened our services. This will help make Victoria a of recruits and we have new powers to respond to safer place to live. emerging crime trends. We have also been leading the In October 2016, we launched the Victoria Police way in implementing family violence reforms and have Capability Plan 2016-2025. The Capability Plan been working closely with other agencies to reduce outlines the capabilities we need to be effective road trauma. in the future. We are now starting to see the results from our The Victorian Government’s substantial investment reforms. Overall crime rates have dropped for the first in Victoria Police through the Community Safety time in six years. We are also seeing improvements in Statement 2017 will help to make us a more responsive almost every crime category. This is also a reflection and skilled police force that meets the needs of of the dedication of our hard-working operational modern-day policing and, importantly, helps to make members and the staff who support them. We hope the community safer. This is a once in a generation that these rates will continue to decrease as we opportunity to modernise our organisation, with the continue to modernise our organisation. investment to support it. VICTORIA POLICE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17 | FOREWORD FROM THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER In January of this year, a terrible crime was committed We are also proud of our leadership in seeking to in Bourke Street. I am proud of the leadership understand, and respond to, the challenges faced shown by our employees and their professional, by young Victorians. In July 2016, we held a Youth compassionate and timely response to this tragedy. Summit that brought together leaders from across I am also proud of the way in which the community government, the media and the community to discuss came together to assist. Without this good work, more the reasons why youth offend. It was a success. Many lives would have been lost. of the priority issues identified at the Youth Summit have either been, or are being, addressed across The crime in Bourke Street is a stark reminder government. Victoria Police will hold another Youth of the resilience required in policing. Every day, Summit in late 2017. our employees are confronted with complex and distressing situations. This makes it vital for Victoria Executive Command is pleased by what Victoria Police to have a safe, inclusive and respectful Police has achieved in 2016-2017. It continues to be a workplace. privilege for us to serve the Victorian community and represent our dedicated and hard-working employees. In 2016-2017, Victoria Police has shown significant We all remain committed to improving public safety leadership in cultural reform. We have renewed our and providing an agile, flexible and responsive policing focus on the health, safety and wellbeing of our people. service to all Victorians. Our commitment to protecting the mental health of our employees is demonstrated by our substantial progress in implementing the Victoria Police Mental Health Review. Likewise, our commitment to eradicating sexual harassment and sex discrimination Graham Ashton AM in the workplace is demonstrated by our substantial Chief Commissioner progress in implementing the recommendations of Victoria Police from the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission’s Independent Review into Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment, Including Predatory Behaviour in Victoria Police Phase One Report 2015. The release of the Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2020 in June 2017 sets out how we will ensure that all employees feel safe and respected in the workplace, and are given every opportunity to succeed. We are committed to creating a police force that delivers equality. 3 1. ABOUT VICTORIA POLICE OUR ORGANISATION OUR ROLE AND Victoria Police was established in 1853 and provides FUNCTIONS policing services to the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, working to keep over 6.2 million1 Victorians Victoria Police’s role is to serve the Victorian community safe. and uphold the law so as to promote a safe, secure and orderly society. Victoria Police achieves this by: Police Officers and Protective Services Officers (PSOs) are supported in their role by public servants who work • Preserving the peace. as administrators, managers and specialists in a range of • Protecting life and property. functions, including: intelligence analysts, legal services, • Preventing offences. accounting, procurement, psychology, Police Custody • Detecting and apprehending offenders. Officers (PCOs) and forensic services. • Helping those in need of assistance. ‘ Executive Command sets the strategic direction of Victoria Police, monitoring organisational performance, determining key priorities and risks, managing organisational capacity and capability, and advancing initiatives and reforms.’ 1 This population figure is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics as at 31 December 2016 and does not reconcile to regional population figures quoted due to the application of different time periods VICTORIA POLICE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17 | ABOUT VICTORIA POLICE OUR VALUES LEGISLATIVE Our values define what is important to our organisation. OVERSIGHT They underpin Victoria Police’s policies, procedures and practices, and set the standards for how employees Victoria Police operates under the Victoria Police Act interact with individuals in the community and with each 2013. The Chief Commissioner of Police is the Chief other. All Victoria Police employees are to act in a manner Executive of the organisation and reports directly to the which reflects these values. Minister for Police, the Honourable Lisa Neville MP and also worked closely with the Minister for the Prevention of The Victoria Police values are: Family Violence (the Honourable Fiona Richardson MP)2, Safety – Every Victoria Police employee to be committed the Minister for Emergency Services (the Honourable to the health and safety of themselves, their fellow James Merlino MP), the Minister for Roads and Road employees and the community in which they serve. Safety (the Honourable Luke Donnellan), the Attorney- General (the Honourable Martin Pakula MP), the Premier Leadership – Be approachable, consistent, committed (the Honourable Daniel Andrews MP) and the Treasurer and inspire others through active leadership across all (the Honourable Tim Pallas MP). organisational values. Integrity – Act with honesty, respecting the right of fair process for all, maintain confidentiality and respect for those we deal with, demonstrate moral strength and courage, and behave with honour and impartiality. Flexibility – Remain open minded at all times, be adaptive