- Published:
- Thursday 12 November 2015
Frontline police officers will begin to be redeployed to the beat from next year after landmark legislation by the Andrews Labor Government today passed Parliament.
The Justice Legislation Amendment (Police Custody Officers) Bill 2015, which has passed with no amendments, fulfils the Government’s election promise to create 400 new custody officer jobs to babysit crooks in police cells so officers can return to the jobs they were trained to do.
The custody officers are among more than 600 additional police personnel funded by the Government since coming to office.
They include forensic scientists, transit police and PSOs, and detectives dedicated to supervising serious sex offenders on supervision orders.
The Government has invested $148.6 million to recruit, train and deploy 400 custody officers in 22 police stations in Victoria over the next three years.
Custody officers will have the power to:
- manage prisoners in police cells, including the power to search prisoners and use reasonable force to maintain the security, safety and good order of the police cells
- supervise offenders in police stations
- transport people to and from court, police stations and other places, and
- guard offenders in hospital
Officers have also been given an expanded role supervising offenders while they take their own swabs for DNA samples and help with breath and drug testing in police stations.
The first squad of recruits will start training at the Victoria Police Academy in December, with Sunshine, Dandenong, Heidelberg, Ballarat, Geelong and Broadmeadows the first stations to receive custody officers.
The officers will be employed as public servants by the Chief Commissioner, not police officers, and will not use guns or tasers.
The legislation was developed in close consultation with Victoria Police, The Police Association, and the Community and Public Sector Union.
Quotes attributable to Police Minister Wade Noonan
“This Government is delivering on its election commitment to get our sworn officers back on the beat and away from managing police cells.”
“Victoria’s new custody officers will provide critical support to our police as they work to fight and prevent crime.’’
“The successful passage of this important legislation means we’ve secured a major boost to police resources.’’