The announcement in the Herald Sun, 12^th of April 2026, ‘Victoria is haemorrhaging police officers’, by the Leader of the Opposition, Jess Wilson, to increase the Police numbers by 3000, is very welcome news indeed. Long-suffering Victorians can at least have hope that, with a change in government, the issue of law and order, particularly the Police capacity, in this once fine State would be seriously addressed. At last, our safety is a priority. 

 What concerns us most is the methodology the Opposition proposes to achieve its targets. 

 Establishing overseas recruiting centres and the associated marketing to attract recruits could be a very expensive option, especially if no suitable ‘sunset’ clause for this process is included. 

It also has the potential of the Force, believing the problem is fixed and fails to address the problems within, the root cause of the current issues. 

 It is worrying that no real effort has ever been made to recruit Victorians. 

 It is true that well-trained personnel from the countries listed and interstate will help, but it is not the solution; rather, it is a welcome stopgap. 

 The problem, as we understand it, is that there are plenty of Police applicants; it is the training and processing that is the bottleneck. 

 The CAA has raised this issue before and proposed a solution. 

The first step before we head overseas is to examine and review the selection process of Recruits to ensure they’re fit for purpose from selection to retirement.  

 Failing to do that adequately is kicking the can down the road.

 Poor recruitment selection today creates the problems of tomorrow. 

 The epidemic of resignations as Police exit in alarming numbers is more than likely to be, in large part at least, the manifestation of poor selections in the past as much as poor management today. Perhaps focusing on a quantitative rather than a qualitative outcome is the problem. 

 It is critical that applicants are screened more effectively to minimise the risk of non-physical injuries during their service, and investment in this area would be money well spent, provided the outcomes are monitored. 

 It would also be a good investment to properly examine the exit avalanche to identify causes and address those. Failing to do that will only mean the causes are still there, and the problem will reignite at some point in the future. 

 One of the major failures is that VicPol has outsourced recruitment application training, so the potential recruits are not being evaluated on their merits but on a taught response from independent contractors.

 That is a major recruiting flaw, regardless of how dedicated the applicant trainers may be. 

Outsourcing this process is the result of the Force seeking greater efficiency, rather than understanding that effectiveness should never be compromised for efficiency. 

 We are advised that a potential recruit may need to pay up to $2,000 to complete the application process and training before assessment. That has to be a major disincentive for many suitable people considering a career with Victoria Police.

 Victoria Police must take back control of this process and be responsible for all aspects of it. It seems disingenuous to ask people to join and pay for the privilege of being considered. 

The Force must also review management accountability, not only for staff functional performance in the field but also for their ability to deal with the non-physical stress that the police service exposes them to.  

 In summary, there is a need for overseas recruiting, but recruiting in Victoria should be the first priority, as it will be substantially cheaper, enabling world-class training to be developed and implemented across the Force to improve the organisation’s overall performance and the conditions in which personnel are forced to work. 

 We have seen in recent years vast improvements in the employment conditions of Police in this state, but this has been overshadowed by the large numbers leaving the organisation. So simply improving tangible benefits of themselves is not the answer without the non-tangible benefits being developed. 

 Although we do not begrudge any improvements, given the conditions that police work under, the provision of new buildings, better equipment, and improved conditions can be counterproductive to the organisation’s efficacy.

 Tangible rewards do not replace effective management; however, rewards used judiciously may solve the current problems. 

 Rather than spend millions overseas, why not invest in the current staff to slow the retention exodus? 

 Retention bonuses will go a long way to stem that tide and encourage others to join. It would also attract interstate serving Police seeking a reward for service.  

Additionally, this scheme, which can be spread over many budgets, would be easier to maintain.

 A bonus system starting with Graduation, then two years of service, five years, then ten-year increments would overtly reward service and discourage those considering an exit plan from Policing.

Investing in the current members, showing appreciation for their work, can be a cost-effective strategy as the scheme has many attractions, particularly if the bonus is linked to performance. 

 It would be disheartening for hardworking members to see lazy, incompetent members rewarded simply for turning up for work. 

 Senior Police and political leaders should have a look at the Hawthorne experiment undertaken by Elton Mayo, although it was many years ago; it is as relevant today as it was then and relates to Policing, as is currently evident throughout the Force. 

 The Hawthorne experiments at Western Electric’s Hawthorne Works plant demonstrated that worker productivity increased not only because of physical conditions (such as salary, leave and other conditions) but also because workers felt valued when observed and given special attention, a phenomenon known as the Hawthorne effect. Led by Elton Mayo, the studies highlighted the importance of social relations, employee morale, and management attention over strict physical working conditions. 

By all means, we encourage overseas and interstate recruiting of serving Police officers as a short-term fix, but what is desperately needed is a serious effort to recruit locally and retain existing staff. 

We would like to be assured that if the Opposition wins government, they can walk and chew gum simultaneously.  

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