Victoria Police has taken the unprecedented step of scrapping its long-standing minimum staffing requirements for police stations across the state.
Chief Commissioner Mike Bush pushes to redeploy more officers onto the streets amid a deepening workforce crisis and record crime levels.
The move — the most sweeping operational reform since Bush took over as Chief Commissioner in June — was quietly introduced this week and is already reshaping how local stations operate. It allows district commanders to reassign officers previously tied to desk duties or counter service and send them into patrols, neighbourhood response units, and public safety teams.
“A system under strain”
A confidential internal memo obtained by the Herald Sun acknowledged that minimum staffing rules were “no longer sustainable” due to what it called a “current climate of high vacancy and attrition rates.” It said the change would remain in place pending a broader review of the force’s structure and priorities.
“This proposed approach better reflects the ability to respond to community demand and allows greater focus on frontline policing,” the memo stated.
However, police insiders warn the reform could have unintended consequences. Some fear that already stretched local stations could be forced to further reduce public counter hours or even close temporarily, leaving smaller communities without a visible police presence.
There are currently 43 police stations operating on limited hours since November 2023 — initially described as a “temporary measure” — due to staff shortages.
Frontline numbers falling
According to the latest official data, while Victoria Police has seen a 21% increase in full-time equivalent positions in administrative and corporate roles over the past five years, operational frontline roles have fallen by 2%, from 15,467 to 15,114.
“This is exactly the opposite of what the community expects,” one senior officer told the Herald Sun. “We need fewer people pushing paper and more out there responding to calls.”
Commissioner Bush has repeatedly promised a “back-to-basics” reorganisation of the force to redirect resources toward public safety. Last month, he vowed to “cut red tape, reduce paperwork and restore police visibility” as part of his strategy to tackle Victoria’s spiralling crime problem.
Reassurances and political tensions
Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill insisted the removal of minimum staffing requirements would not result in station closures.
“This change provides greater flexibility to respond to crime where it occurs and to prevent it from happening in the first place,” he said. “There will be no reduction in total police numbers.”
But Shadow Police Minister David Southwick accused the Allan government of presiding over a “recruitment disaster,” saying communities were paying the price.
“Victims deserve to know that when they walk up to a police station, the lights are on and the doors are open,” Southwick said. “Instead, it’s now a lucky dip whether you’ll find anyone there. Labor promised 500 extra officers back in 2022 — today we have fewer police and more crime.”
He warned that nearly half of all reported offences in Victoria now go unsolved and blamed bureaucratic expansion for draining frontline resources.
Union: “We’re 2000 officers short”
The Police Association of Victoria confirmed it was consulted before the decision and described the move as “inevitable.”
Secretary Wayne Gatt said most stations were already breaching the minimum staffing rules, with compliance “virtually non-existent.”
“Victoria Police’s decision to suspend its minimum service numbers is a symptom of the extreme number of vacancies across the force,” Gatt said. “We’re 2000 members short on the frontline. The only fix is to recruit more police than are leaving.”
A government spokesperson said operational matters were for Victoria Police but reiterated the government’s “full support” for Bush’s reform plan.
“We back the Chief Commissioner’s vision to deliver a safer Victoria, with more members out on the streets where they’re needed most,” she said.
The decision marks a defining moment for Victoria Police as it grapples with a mounting crime wave, record attrition, and growing community frustration over shuttered stations and slower response times.
