Trackers to be installed in every Victoria Police operational vehicle

TRACKERS will be installed in every Victoria Police patrol car in an Australian-first effort to keep officers safe. They will be fitted to around 2500 vehicles from this year.

TRACKERS will be installed in every Victoria Police patrol car in an Australian-first effort to keep officers safe.

The hi-tech devices — to be fitted to around 2500 vehicles from this year — will likely include a duress alert to be activated if an officer’s safety is compromised.

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It’s understood they will also allow real-time monitoring of a vehicle’s movements and information about a driver’s behaviour such as excessive speeding or braking.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Amelia Penhall told the Sunday Herald Sun the state-of-the-art devices, called in-vehicle data recorders, were part of a “zero-harm” strategy to protect frontline police.

“The health, safety and wellbeing of our people is crucial,’’ Ms Penhall said.

“This technology will give us greater visibility of where our vehicles are at all times and ensures we can provide timely support to our members when needed.

Leading Senior Constable Tom Weiher shows off the new Police divisional van. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“It will also tell us when our vehicles are being used so that we can better manage our fleet.”

Tender documents state the trackers will be especially useful for officers working solo, allowing colleagues to find them in the event of an emergency.

“This procurement specifically addresses an urgent need to ensure member safety,’’ the documents state.

“Members from specialist units and members on general duties work in proximity with high-risk members of the community.”

Ms Penhall said trackers would be progressively installed in every operational police vehicle which includes divisional vans, four-wheel-drives, buses, trucks and motorcycles.

“At this stage we’re still working through the policy around the use of the data and we’ll continue to consult with a range of stakeholders,’’ she said.

GPS trackers like this are increasingly popular among car owners. Photo: VIP Tracker

“The technology is used extensively in other industries however to our knowledge we do not believe it is being used by other police jurisdictions in Australia.”

The tender documents state the trackers would allow police to pinpoint vehicles which are closest to the scene of an incident — boosting their ability to manage emergencies.

The technology would also have a “playback” feature where historical information about the movement of vehicles could be replayed in real-time, a feature which could assist in investigations of incidents.

Victoria Police is already using trackers as part of a trial aimed at reducing car theft.

They have been fitted to about 1000 cars belonging to ordinary citizens in Melbourne's southeast.

@weshosking