The Herald Sun 13/08/2026 carries an article headed, “PSOs TO PATROL SHOPS” and reports that the Premier directs that PSOs will blitz crime-ridden shopping centres.
The Police Act 2013 is specific relating to the deployment of Police and PSOs.
Under Division 2 – Relationship with government, Section 10, Ministerial directions:
(1) The Minister may from time to time, after consulting the Chief Commissioner, give written directions to the Chief Commissioner in relation to the policy and priorities to be pursued in the performance of the functions of Victoria Police.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), a direction under subsection (1) cannot be given in relation to any of the following matters—(f) the allocation or deployment of police officers or protective services officers to or at particular locations;
Clearly, the Premier has ignored the Police Act and usurped the prerogative of the Chief Commissioner (CCP) to allocate operational police and PSOs.
The Act, unfortunately, had unintended consequences when it requires the CCP to follow directions as to policy which is interpreted as permitting Governments to interfere with personnel allocations, despite the specific prohibition of this in Section 10.
None of the requirements of Sub-section 3 is applicable.
A classic example of the folly of such a power to order the deployment of police by Government is when the Andrews Government, during the COVID Pandemic, ordered a “Ring of Steel” be imposed to curb people’s ability to travel and required Police to enforce this edict when effectively it was a direction impossible to effectively implement.
The politicisation of the Victoria Police that has occurred over the past decades must be curtailed if we are to have a Force that acts without fear or favour.
The allocation of police resources must be at the sole discretion of the Chief Commissioner.
