Victoria Police will receive an additional 150 Protective Services Officers under a new state government announcement aimed at increasing patrols in shopping strips, major retail centres and other public areas affected by crime and anti-social behaviour.
Premier Ben Carroll said the recruitment would bring the total number of new PSOs funded by the government over the past year to 200.
The government also plans to change regulations to allow PSOs to patrol a broader range of locations beyond their current responsibilities, including local shopping strips where crime and anti-social behaviour have become a concern.
As part of the package, Victoria Police’s Operation Pulse will be extended until the end of next year, with expanded patrols across major shopping centres.
Operation Pulse was introduced as a retail crime and community safety initiative. According to the government, the operation has resulted in more than 1,700 arrests and more than 3,500 charges since it began.
The announcement follows earlier changes that expanded the deployment of PSOs on trains and adjusted patrol start times to give police greater flexibility in responding to crime based on intelligence.
Mr Carroll said the additional officers would increase police visibility in areas where people shop, work and spend time.
“More police and PSOs in more places, more often, all part of Labor’s plan to keep Victorians safe,” he said.
“You’ll see more police where they are needed, keeping crime down and the community safe.”
Police Minister Paul Edbrooke said the government was focused on increasing the number of officers on the streets to deter crime and improve public safety.
“Labor is about more police on our streets deterring crime and helping people feel safe,” he said.
“We have Australia’s biggest police force and we’re giving them the powers and resources they need.”
The announcement comes amid broader debate over crime, policing and public safety in Victoria, with both major political parties placing law and order measures prominently in their policy agendas.
While the government has emphasised increased police and PSO numbers, critics are likely to scrutinise how the expanded patrol powers will operate in practice and whether the measures will reduce retail crime and anti-social behaviour over the longer term.
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