Victoria Police criticised for thousands of new officers

A report has revealed a $2bn spend on new cops in Victoria may not have had an impact, following Bec Judd’s attack on police services in her suburb.

Victoria’s Auditor-General has said the state’s police cannot assure the community that $2bn for 2729 extra police officers has improved public safety.

The damning findings came in a report released on Thursday which said the force’s plans for staffing were shortsighted.

“Victoria Police only had a short-form business case in November 2016 to support the $2bn CSS investment in 2,729 new police officers,” the report read.

“It did not have a full business case. The short-form business case does not provide adequate information to decision-makers for such a large investment.

Chris and Rebecca Judd live in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton.

“Victoria Police cannot show that the 2,729 new police officers it said it needed were supported by any modelling of its future staffing requirements.”

VAGO also noted the force had difficulty proving how the high number of new, tax payer-funded staff was benefiting the community.

“Victoria Police tracked whether it deployed 3,135 new police officers as part of the CSS and PSPR packages,” the report read.

“In 2020, Victoria Police implemented a project benefits plan that focused on monitoring the recruitment and deployment of new staff.

“This plan is inadequate to track the benefits of a $2bn government investment because it does not show the actual benefit to the community.”

The revelations come after residents in Brighton, including Bec Judd, claimed the affluent area in Melbourne’s Bayside was now home to a spike in crime due to a lack of policing.

Ms Judd, who is married to former AFL star Chris, said in May she felt “unsafe” in her nearby mansion after a spike in “rapes, bashings and home invasions” in the area.

Victoria Police has added thousands of additional staff in recent years. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Wayne Taylor

Last week, Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin said the proposed police station would be based in a central shopping strip if the Liberals win at the November state election.

Ms Judd took to Instagram earlier this year to accuse the Victorian government of allowing crime to get out of hand in the cashed-up area.

“So sick of the rapes, bashings and home invasions at the hands of gangs in Bayside,’’ she wrote in an Instagram story.

“The state government don’t seem to care. We feel unsafe.”

However, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews retorted at the time by saying he’s “not interested in having an argument with Ms Judd” and referenced the new police hires.

“I’m also obliged to point out, though, I think there are more than 70 additional police in the Bayside area,” Mr Andrews said.

Victoria Police has been contacted for comment.