18th March 2020

Chief Commissioner Ashton has suspended the Booze Bus operations based on medical advice and pressure from the union.

Announcing this action has just blown any deterrent effect that the Busses had.

The intelligent strategy would have been to suspend their use and not tell anybody, operational confidentiality.

It is odd that the Busses are suspended, but roadside testing is ramped up – what is the difference in contact risk for police, is there something about the ‘bus’ we are missing.

This pandemic could go on for months so it will be interesting in the wash-up as to how many Police members were calculated would have contracted COVID-19 and how many additional deaths happen on our roads. Given the Booze, Buses are a major part of VicPol’s Roads Safety strategy.

If there is a spike in road fatalities, we assume that will be classified as collateral damage, if there is not, the whole value of the Booze Bus strategy will be blown away.

Wonder if there is a market for Booze Buses, some brand-new.

The long argued effectiveness of Police traffic patrolling the roads will now be capable of assessment. The Booze Bus personnel must be detailed for traffic patrols to maintain safety on our roads, not simply swallowed back into General Duties, because without a visible Police presence mayhem will ensue.

Sadly it is unlikely anybody will have the foresight to take advantage of this situation and gain some targeted empirical data about the effectiveness of police resource management, rather than operating on guesswork.