Senior police to vote on no-confidence motion again Shane Patton

Senior police have fired a major shot in the ongoing war with force command with members set to vote on a no confidence motion against Shane Patton, who is set to be handed a second term as chief commissioner.

Senior police have fired a major shot in the ongoing war with force command with members set to vote on a no-confidence motion against the state’s top cop, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton.

An estimated 18,000 members will vote after the police union’s 70 delegates voted unanimously to put the motion to the wider workforce.

The move marks a major escalation in the police pay dispute which returned to the Fair Work Commission this week after almost two years of negotiations.

Tensions flared this week amid speculation Mr Patton was set to be handed a second term as chief commissioner.

Police Minister Anthony Carbines said it was unlikely the government would re advertise for the position, saying he had full confidence in Mr Patton.

The no confidence motion passed by delegates listed surging crime, police vacancies and a reduction in services as critical concerns.

“This government does not speak for our members,” it said.

“The members of Victoria Police have serious concerns about the capacity of the Chief

Commissioner of Police to manage and lead Victoria Police and as such, express no confidence in the CCP going forward.

Members are set to vote on a no-confidence motion against Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

“This delegate meeting accordingly calls on the Board of TPAV (The Police Association of Victoria) to gauge members’ sentiment, and its confidence in the Chief Commissioner of Police to lead and manage Victoria Police and its members in the future.”

It said delegates had received repeated widespread feedback from rank-and-file members who said they felt “utterly unsupported” by force command.

It also noted:

– A FAILURE of Victoria Police to attract and retain members, evidenced by more than 1000 vacancies and an attrition rate for police of 5.6 per cent,

– A REDUCTION in services to the community as well as operational decisions to reduce services at 43 24-hour police stations,

– THECONTINUED rise in crime rates, which have soared to historic high levels, and

– A SIGNIFICANT decline in the community’s confidence in Victoria Police and its capacity to keep the community safe.

Last year public satisfaction and confidence in Victoria Police plummeted to its lowest levels since records began.

Just 58 per cent of those surveyed said they were “satisfied with policing services”, a massive fall from 73.1 per cent from the year before.

The same figure – just 58 per cent of Victorians – agreed they had “confidence in police”, a drop of 17 per cent from the 2022-23 high of 75 per cent.

Victorian Police stage a walkout protest at Victorian Police Academy in Glen Waverley over ongoing industrial relations pay disputes. Picture: Nadir Kinani

Victoria Police had a target of reaching 80 per cent for satisfaction and 82 per cent for confidence.

Mr Patton said: “I note the intention of The Police Association delegates to send a vote to the workforce.

“I’ll continue to focus on my job in leading the organisation.”

In July paramedics passed a vote of no-confidence in Ambulance Victoria’s executive citing concerns around the direction of the organisation.

Chief executive Jane Miller resigned shortly after following months of mounting pressure and concerns about the leadership of the agency.

The police pay dispute went back to the Fair Work Commission on Thursday to try and settle concerns around overtime provisions in a proposed new pay deal.

If unresolved it could jeopardise a proposed new $450m deal giving police a minimum 4.5 per cent annual pay increase over the next four years.

Negotiations over a new pay deal have lasted almost two years, and sparked increasingly hostile industrial action.