Victoria Police members pass no confidence vote against commissioner Shane Patton

Victorian police commissioner Shane Patton’s future is in question after an overwhelming vote of no confidence was passed by union members.

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

The future of Victorian police commissioner Shane Patton is under a cloud after police association members passed a no-confidence vote with an overwhelming majority.

More than 14,500 officers voted in a union poll, with 87 per cent voting no confidence in Mr Patton’s leadership on Friday, 3AW reported.

Mr Patton was appointed to a five-year term in the role in 2020, with his contract set to expire in June.

The state government is yet to confirm if they will extend his term, but speaking to ABC radio shortly after the vote, Mr Patton said he was “disappointed, personally and professionally” but that he had no intention of resigning.

Victorian Police Commissioner Shane Patton’s future in the top job is up in the air after a vote of no confidence passed with 87 per cent of the vote among union members on Friday. Picture: NewsWire / Nadir Kinani

“I’ve grown up in this job. I love this job, and all of the members in it, all I can say is, you know, I hear their concerns,” he said.

“They’re absolutely concerns of myself and the concerns of executive command and the command team, and we’ll continue to do everything we can to address those issues, and I’ll continue to lead the organisation.”

The ballot was sparked by long delays in negotiating a new enterprise bargaining agreement for members, as well as ongoing issues with staff retention and morale in the midst of escalating crime rates.

Mr Patton said while there were a range of factors impacting officers, his priority would be filling vacancies on the force to relieve pressure on the workforce.

Victorian Police officers have been hurt by long delays in negotiating a new enterprise bargaining agreement for members, as well as ongoing issues with staff retention and morale in the midst of escalating crime rates. Picture: NewsWire / Nadir Kinani

“First and foremost is recruiting those people, so we’re not down all those vacancies, so we’ve got the ability to be more proactive, so members aren’t feeling so pressured,” he said.

“Recruitment is an absolute priority, if you’re asking me to single one out.”

The Police Association of Victoria urged Mr Patton to reconsider his position, and step down in the wake of the vote.

“Our members have spoken emphatically. They do not have confidence in the chief commissioner to manage and lead Victoria Police in the future,” Association President Karl David said.

“Our members need urgent fixes to critical failings in policing and for this to occur there needs to be change at the top with a fresh direction.”

Originally published as Victoria Police members pass no confidence vote against commissioner Shane Patton