Police Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson has conceded that the Police are frustrated by the leniency of the Victorian Bail Laws at a Stonington Police forum, as reported in the Herald Sun on the 7th of February 2025.
The Commissioner said that Victoria Police was advocating for change in the Court System.
It was reported that in a shocking admission by Deputy Paterson, “the force had never arrested more people for serious crimes than we have in at last 12 months.”
Nice of the Deputy to instil more fear into the community.
This admission, of course, did little to allay the community’s fears, but what is most alarming, according to the report, is that the only strategy presented to the community was the standard police line given to every such challenge of their performance.
“The policing panel announced increased foot and bicycle patrols to monitor areas including Chapel St in addition to existing initiatives to tackle crime.”
It takes a bit more than monitoring a crime hotspot, and the Zero Tolerance with the Broken Window Police strategy applied to these areas would be the most effective response.
Although a relatively short-term strategy, usually 6 months or so, the other areas of policing not reported as being discussed are proactive initiatives. The monitoring patrols, although proactive, are very limited without a broader application of proactive strategies that have a longer-term impact.
There is a major flaw in this announcement, as we have several CAA members facing similar concerns in their community and have been given the same hollow assurances. Patrols for a very limited period who do nothing more than monitor activity without enforcement, which is a ludicrous approach the community is heartily sick of.
Within a short time of these inevitably hollow assurances, the patrols diminish, while the problems persist, the police disappear completely, leaving the residents with no discernible difference in their ‘air of menace’, as one resident described the situation.
It is incredibly disappointing that the police command cannot come up with any new approaches and blaming the Courts and Bail Laws while admitting there are multiple parts to the Justice system and trying to shift all the blame on to the Justice system is disingenuous when police are clearly failing in their primary function. Preventing Crime.
Interestingly, one of the police members attending this forum appeared to be wearing a keffiyeh. The photograph is quite grainy, but without explanation, it looks like what we suggest.
A Police member wearing a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian people, given the current environment, is irresponsible and unprofessional; police are supposed to be above what this display portrays. Additionally, the wearing of this symbol would be highly offensive to many of the residents. Has “Inclusion” gone too far?. What was once the standard police uniform did not offend anyone.
However, suppose this is what it is purported to be without further explanation, it reflects very poorly on the Deputy Commissioner and other Senior Officers at this event and perhaps explains the failure of Victoria Police as a Police service now focused on non-core activities.
Disappointment does not adequately describe how the standards have fallen. Police do not want to leave the station but encourage crime reporting, ‘online’. Even when reported they don’t want to do anything. Despite assurances from the Assistant Commissioner and local commanders, crime seems to be out of control.
It is easier to maintain the peace than to have to restore it. I hope it is not too late.
This is an interesting article and highlights the fact that “traditional” policing methods have been forsaken or perhaps simply lost.
The continuous visible police presence is a tried and tested method of effective policing and no form of technology can change that fact.
And, if the police member as depicted is wearing a “keffiyeh” that is not acceptable.
It is imperative that the police are seen to be impartial and non-political irrespective of their personal beliefs and opinions.
I can recall the days of the large protests against the war in Vietnam when the police were briefed not to show or in any way indicate their personal opinions or beliefs about the war when on duty at the demonstrations. We were there to keep the peace and enforce the law and that was it.
That member should at the very least be admonished. Police are meant to be c completely objective and unbiased when serving the community. As yet says in the oath of office
Victoria Police must be practicing DEI policies. That is why there was a police officer wearing a keffiyeh around her neck. DEI is pure racism in action but it disguises itself with nice words.
People who can’t see what DEI truly is can only be described as blind, ignorant and gullible.