As we move into 2026 and 2025 fades into history, we need to focus on what this year can deliver. In this area, we each have a responsibility to help make 2026 better than 2025.

Without your effort, complacency will set in, and we will look back on ’26 as the year that could have been but never was.

At a time when crime is at an all-time high, and many citizens live daily with fear, the insidious growth of crime erodes all of our freedoms just as certainly as COVID did.

What is regularly overlooked is the damage the sheer cost of crime imposes on all of us, and at this time of fiscal austerity, these costs are borne mainly by those who can least afford it.

The cost of crime likely outstrips the acceleration in energy costs, the single most significant cost we all bear beyond shelter and food.

It was very recently that we lost most of our freedoms through the poor management of the COVID Pandemic, and we are fast losing our freedom again, this time, crime is the culprit.

There is plenty of blame-shifting over who is responsible, and most of those blamed likely bear some culpability. Still, there is reason for hope that ’26 will see dramatic changes in the effectiveness of Victoria Police, the bulwark against crime.

We can blame the Courts, and so we should; however, the primary role of any Police Force is to prevent crime.

While the Courts have a vital deterrent role and a duty to protect society from the bad or mad, it is the Police who must tackle the issue by preventing crimes before they occur.

To do this, the Force needs to be fit for purpose, and to date, that has been problematic.

If it were not for the dedication of vast numbers of individuals in the Force, then our situation would have further deteriorated.

It is highly commendable that individual police officers have risen to the challenge despite disincentives and barriers caused by poor administrative decisions that were actively placed in their way.

The appointment of Mike Bush as our new Chief Commissioner is a bright light at the end of a gloomy tunnel, and we are confident he will make a difference, prompting us to reflect on an analogy to an Orange Tree for the task he faces.

For an Orange tree to bear quality and quantity of fruit fit for purpose, the first thing that needs to be done is to address the piles of manure piled up around its trunk, expecting in vain that this will produce a viable crop.

The risk with this approach in Policing has been evident for a long time, as these piles rot, the damage to the tree becomes evident.

Trees like the Force need more than just manure; they need other vital inputs like water, but most importantly, the tree needs light.

An overwatered or overfed tree will not produce well, but as any worthwhile horticulturist will tell you, the maintenance of the structure of the tree is critical.

Dead wood must be pruned back to the trunk and the tree stripped of any diseased parts, even if there are signs that part of the diseased structure may bear some fruit.

The removal must be done carefully to prevent disease and infestations from spreading, and the centre of the tree should be thinned to allow sunlight to penetrate throughout the tree.

Policing will always be healthier when the light is let into the organisation and accountability is fostered.

Regular, proactive treatment of the tree is paramount, as it helps prevent disease and promotes a healthier tree and better yields.

It is often too late when disease or infection becomes apparent, so regular, proactive attention is critical.

To achieve an outstanding tree that produces exceptional fruit, careful, skilled management and planning are required.

And where does this all start in Policing with this analogical theory?

It starts with the pile of manure at the base of the tree that needs to be scraped away and disposed of, and with recognising all those parts of the tree that have had to battle through these piles to perform their function.