Police Association survey finds Victorian police officers ‘burnt out’, ready to quit job, survey finds

Victoria Police officers suffering “extreme fatigue” are quitting in droves, a new survey has found, as the union prepares to launch industrial action over a bitter wage and condition dispute.

Almost three out of four police officers are burnt out and more than one in four of the state’s 16,000 officers are set to leave the job, a damning union survey has found.

The shock new figures reveal the collapsing morale inside Victoria Police as officers prepare to launch industrial action this weekend over a bitter wage and conditions dispute.

The Saturday Herald Sun can reveal a study of 1051 Victorian officers during October found 28 per cent of respondents said they are likely to leave the police workforce within the next 12 months, 71 per cent are burnt out, 64 per cent frequently think about quitting.

The survey, commissioned by the Police Association also reveals job satisfaction declined to 33 per cent, while job dissatisfaction rose to 38 per cent.

Constable Nicole Bennett, with Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, has quit over “extreme fatigue”.

The Police Association of Victoria is demanding a 4 per cent wage increase and nine-hour shifts to better accommodate a work-life balance and Association secretary Wayne Gatt said police were being churned and burned.

“We’re churning them through the academy and we’re burning them out and spitting them out at the other end,’’ he said.

“We’re watching our members leave like sand through our fingertips and we’ve got to intervene.”

Mr Gatt said the union’s demands would help address some of the concerning statistics outlined in the study.

“I’m bereft of words to describe just how depressing it is because these are fixable issues. The force was not always like this. It’s saddening to see the police force on a pathway to deterioration so quickly,” he said.

On Saturday, Mr Gatt said the data showed the “real life impacts,” and that morale within the police force was at an all-time low.

But he said he wasn’t shocked by the findings.

“I’m not surprised at all,” he said.

Mr Gatt has spoken to Victorian members who are leaving for the Queensland Police Force.

He called on the government to treat police officers as people, rather than numbers.

“They’re not just numbers to us, but they might be to the government,” he said.

“Deal with them like people,

“They’ve got names, they’ve got families.”

Mr Gatt said Victorian police officers were leaving for interstate forces and had spoken to two members who confirmed they were leaving for the Queensland Police Force, because it offered “better conditions of employment”.

“When morale is so low, when work life balance is so poor, and there are better opportunities or better offers on the table elsewhere, they‘ll go,” he said.

“We have a crisis here.”

Police Association of Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt prepares for industrial action. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The study of the Victorian officers conducted by researchers at RMIT and Swinburne Universities also found 76 per cent of officers feel emotionally drained.

One sergeant said in the survey: “As a supervisor, I am unable to protect and support my members from senior management’s unrealistic demands. This does not fit with my moral code or the reason I joined ­Victoria Police. I am actively looking for alternative ­employment.”

The findings were seized upon by the state Opposition, with police spokesman Brad Battin saying the growing number of police feeling unsupported, burnt out and leaving the force is “deeply concerning and will only lead to poorer community safety ­outcomes”.

“Instead of the Allan government attracting and retaining the frontline police Victoria needs, they are forcing members to take industrial action to improve their conditions,” he said.

A Victoria Police spokesman said the force had seen “no ­indication of a substantial increase in resignations”.

Nicole Bennett at her graduation in 2022.

“In fact, we are seeing signs police attrition levels are tapering,” he said.

“There’s no doubt policing is a tough, incredibly busy job and our members do amazing work each and every day. We are focused on doing everything we can to ensure they are supported and know they are valued.”

The spokesman said negotiations with the union are ­ongoing but “significant progress” has been made and they are confident of reaching an agreement.

A government spokeswoman said it had invested in the police workforce as well as initiatives to offer mental health support for officers.

“Victoria Police has seen no indication of a substantial increase in resignations but we know many different industries across the country are facing workforce shortages and policing is not immune from these pressures,” the spokeswoman said.

“Policing is a challenging, rewarding career, and it could be for more people than they may have thought.”

Nicole Bennett said the policing system in Victoria was “broken”. Picture: David Crosling

“I’m walking away emotionally shattered”

An extract of Nicole Bennett’s letter

“Here I am, just a number (that has been drummed in to me) who did give her absolute best but couldn’t keep up with the demands of juggling a new job with copious amounts of paperwork to learn, an appalling lack of security about where I would end up, having to choose between sleep and eating, calls from rostering pulling me off my precious days off from night shift to drive two hours to do my (weapon’s safety requalification) and a filthy email afterwards saying if I had a problem to speak with my officer in charge.

I drive past five understaffed police stations on my way to work.

The system is broken. I am a strong vibrant woman with life experience, a strong work ethic and a can do attitude and this job broke me physically, emotionally and financially.

Anyway, there is my small vent, it won’t change anything but I just needed to write it down to help the process of healing my heart and my head.

I won’t let this ruin me, I’m all my kids have. We will pick up the pieces and get on with it and I will remain proud of what I achieved for a small moment.

I hope one day, those at the top who make the decisions to treat people like a number and have lost the ability to see the human side of the people who do this job, eventually wake up and realise that they have the power to make changes to help those doing it tough be close to home so they can give 100 per cent to the job and also have the ability to be a good parent, friend and family member.

It’s not rocket science, but it will take someone brave enough to stand up and listen and make some changes to this broken system that broke me.