Top crime fighters to patrol Melbourne quarantine hotels

A police presence, instead of poorly trained security guards, will be in place in Victoria’s quarantine hotels to prevent a repeat of the bungled scheme.

Specialist crime fighters will be taken off the beat to staff hotel corridors as part of Victoria’s reset hotel quarantine program.

At least 300 police officers will be needed daily to carry out around-the-clock supervision, enforcement and compliance duties at 11 city and airport hotels when the scheme restarts on Monday.

The boosted police presence, instead of poorly trained security contractors, has been put in place to try to avoid a repeat of the initial scheme which seeded Victoria’s deadly COVID-19 second wave.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal all elements of the force’s crime ­command will be expected to provide members.

At least 300 police officers will be needed daily to carry out around-the-clock supervision, enforcement and compliance duties at hotels. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

That would include officers more usually occupied investigating murders, high-level sex offences, armed robberies, outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime.

It is believed police from detectives to the rank of senior sergeant will be used. Protective Service Officers will also take part in the program.

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said it was to be expected that members would be called in from all branches.

“This operation will have a significant impact on policing operations due to the sheer number of members likely to be involved at any time,” Mr Gatt said. “It is unsurprising that as a result, our members will need to be called from far and wide and from all areas of Victoria Police in order to meet the request of the state government.”

It is expected the police force’s ­hotels commitment will stretch to 12 months.

Officers will be assisted by Australian Defence Force personnel. But the state government has revised its request after the ADF refused security or floor-monitoring roles.

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said it was to be expected that members would be called in from all branches.

Instead of 220 ADF personnel, 172 will now support police by helping residents on entry and exit, as well as registering staff movements and temperature checking workers.

Opposition police and community safety spokesman David Southwick criticised the government over the decision to take police out of key crime-fighting areas.

“With offending up, yet fewer crimes being solved and now the major investigation units being tied up keeping an eye over hotel quarantine, I shudder to think what limited resources are left to look into some of the state’s worst crimes,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther, who will oversee the force’s expanded role in the program, acknowledged some ­resources would be affected.

But he said the job was being done “with the absolute aim of minimising any impact on core duties”.

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