Fine revenue falls, road toll rises as Victoria Police highway patrols decrease
UPDATE: PREMIER Daniel Andrews has backed Victoria Police’s two-up policy despite concerns it is linked to an increase in the road toll and a shortfall in fine revenue.
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POLICE will work thousands of hours of overtime to try and slow down Victoria’s horror road toll.
An extra 1000 highway patrol shifts will be filled between now and Christmas after the State Government brought forward a $12 million package to improve road safety.
The extra shifts will be covered by officers willing to work overtime so resources are not diverted from other areas.
The government made the announcement this afternoon after a ministerial council for road safety meeting yesterday.
It comes as Premier Daniel Andrews backed Victoria Police’s two-up policy despite concerns it is linked to an increase in the road toll and a shortfall in fine revenue.
The Police Association warned highway patrols have dropped by about 30 per cent since officers were banned from working solo due to safety concerns.
Mr Andrews said the road toll was too high and his government faced a challenge to reduce it.
But he said requiring police officers to work in pairs was “a smart policy”.
“I think every Victorian supports that policy because we do know, it’s a fact that police have been the target of threats very directly against them,” Mr Andrews said.
“As far as its impact and things that might be needed because of it, we’re providing extra funding and we’re in constant communication, literally daily communication with the Chief (Graham Ashton) about ways in which we can give him further support.”
“Every death on the road and injuries too are terrible tragedies that touch all of us.”
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the two-up policy hadn’t been supported by an increase in police numbers.
He said the government must hire more police because “we are seeing police patrols suffering on the road”.
Calls have been made to urgently direct more resources to the state’s deadly highways.
A major road enforcement strategy, including extra funding, will be announced by Victoria Police, the State Government and the TAC today to deploy extra police until the end of the year.
Additional resources will be poured into tackling high-risk behaviour, including drink-driving and drug-driving.
Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer said last night the force was investigating “smarter ways” to police roads through technology that would boost patrol hours.
“In the past 12 months we continued our focus of removing high-risk drivers from our roads,” he said.
So far 206 lives have been lost on our roads this year compared to 173 at the same time in 2015.
Last May police were told they must not work alone under drastic new anti-terrorism measures.
The number of infringement notices issued by highway patrol officers dropped from 83,698 in the last quarter of 2014 to 60,331 in the last quarter of 2015.
Police Association secretary Ron Iddles said: “Since the two-up policy was introduced there has been a reduction of highway patrols by approximately 30 per cent.
“We know revenue from tickets is also down and the road toll is going up.
“The use of drugs in driving is also going up.”
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Mr Fryer said police had impounded 6400 cars of the worst recidivist offenders, with 8600 drug-affected drivers picked up in the past year.
Opposition police spokesman Edward O’Donohue said it was vital resources were diverted to highway patrols.
“Despite an increasing road toll, there has been a significant cut to total highway patrol operational activity under Daniel Andrews,” he said.
“There are now fewer police patrols on our roads catching dangerous drivers.”
Police Minister Lisa Neville said the government was committed to increasing the presence of police and technology as well as improving Victorian roads.
Sources say the force has little chance of lowering the road toll with highway patrol cars commonly diverted to investigating Melbourne’s car crime epidemic.
It is understood the issue has caused a rift between Victoria Police divisional commanders and those trying to prevent more lives being lost on our roads.
Even the force’s Blue Net car, which can instantly scan and numberplates on the move, is understood to be being used in crime operations instead of its intended purpose.
Divisions are also doubling up on crime cases unknowingly. The Herald Sun understands the division commanders are reacting to skyrocketing car crime, which is seen as a priority.
In a single division spanning the municipalities of Boroondara, Whitehorse, Manningham and Maroondah in Melbourne’s east a shocking 900 cars were broken into or stolen in a 45-day period.
The advent of the Apex gang and its reputation for brutality has been identified as a factor in diverting police resources from road policing.
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