Trust in Victoria Police dwindles amid machete mayhem, deadly tobacco wars

Victoria’s new top cop will face an uphill battle to win over the public as trust in police plummets to its lowest level on record, amid spiralling youth crime and the state’s deadly tobacco war.

Victoria’s incoming top cop will face an uphill battle to win over the public as trust in the troubled force plummets to its lowest level on record.

Just over half of Victorians say they are satisfied or have confidence in the state’s police, budget figures have revealed.

It marks a steep fall in the public’s confidence in their police force in just a matter of years. In 2022-23, 75 per cent of Victorians had confidence in police.

Victoria’s new top cop Mike Bush with Police Minister Anthony Carbines. Picture: Ian Currie

An estimated 52 per cent of Victorians felt satisfied with policing in the state last year, down from 55 per cent in the 2023-24 financial year.

Meanwhile, 55 per cent of Victorians were likely to have confidence in the force, down from almost 62 per cent.

Victoria Police’s satisfaction target percentage was 80 per cent and 82 per cent for confidence.

The dwindling public approval ratings also follow the results of an internal poll that last year showed a 15 per cent drop in those who were “satisfied with policing services”.

The dire result comes as New Zealand’s former police chief Mike Bush gears up to take over as Victoria Police’s next Chief Commissioner late next month, relieving current Acting Chief Rick Nugent following his shock retirement announcement after just over a month in the role.

On top of mounting public distrust in police, Mr Bush will be tasked with addressing a raft of issues that have plagued Victoria Police in recent years, including spiralling youth offending, knife crime and aggravated burglaries, lacklustre recruitment into the force and the state’s deadly tobacco war.

Illegal tobacco crackdown

It comes as a new $46m tobacco licensing scheme has a plan to inspect 500 smoke shops a year.

Also part of the licensing scheme was a plan to review up to 10,000 tobacco licence ­requests.

The targets are the latest bids unveiled to thwart organised crime’s major foothold in the booming black market trade, which has exploded in Victoria at a rate not experienced in any other state or territory.

Forensic police in front of a firebombed store in Campbellfield on May 7. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Victoria is home to as many illegal tobacco sellers as NSW, Queensland and South Australia combined.

Ritchies chief executive Fred Harrison said the crackdown needed to go further.

“We need more than 500 inspections (per year). That’s a little over one per day,” he said.

“The critical piece will be the enforcement and what penalties are handed down if found guilty.”

Australian Association of Convenience Stores chief executive Theo Foukkare welcomed the inspections, but said the fiery conflict would not stop until federal authorities wound back tobacco tax.

Another industry expert told the Herald Sun: “Every effort to tackle this crisis is welcome but enforcement should have started yesterday”.

“Nearly $20 million has been allocated to the agency this year alone, yet tobacco enforcement won’t begin until mid-next year. Even then, the plan is to conduct fewer than two inspections per day.”

Youth crime

The government allocated $13m to roll out its statewide machete ban prompted by soaring youth crime and knife-related offending.

The Herald Sun understands that the bulk of that cash injection, which followed the announcement of the ban in March, would be used to set up drop-off points at police stations and other potential secure locations where Victorians could dispose of the soon to be banned weapon without facing criminal charges.

Another portion of the $13m is likely to be spent on ad campaigns to spread the word about the ban and disposal locations.

Police Minister Anthony Carbines said: “We’re the first in Australia to ban machetes. This Budget will support Victoria Police to get these dangerous weapons off our streets.”

Dramatic footage captured the moment three thieves brandishing a machete were arrested following a wild crime spree in Melbourne’s west in February. Picture: Nine News

A machete-wielding teen was charged after a group of youth allegedly launched a violent attack on a man in Melbourne's northwest. Picture: Supplied

Jesuit Social Services chief executive Julie Edwards said the root causes of youth offending needed to be addressed alongside banning dangerous weapons.

“It’s concerning that people are using machetes, but we also need to focus on factors that lead to young people getting into trouble in the first place and be tough on that, the root causes of crime,” she said.

She said the $727m injection into expanding the state’s prison system was boosting funding “at the wrong end of the system”.

$135m has been allocated to providing at-risk young people and young offenders with rehabilitation and help reintegrating into school and the community.

But Shadow Youth Justice Minister David Southwick said several organisations that run youth outreach initiatives felt as though they were in limbo for another year after being left without new funding for additional programs.

“Despite a 16 per cent rise in youth crime, the $1.85 million cut from last year – intended to support 330 at-risk young people – still hasn’t been delivered,” he said.

Vulnerable youth are left without support, and communities are less safe.”

Originally published as Trust in Victoria Police dwindles amid machete mayhem, deadly tobacco wars