Police officers and emergency services personnel in Victoria are being assaulted at an unprecedented rate, with new figures revealing almost ten attacks every week and unions warning that mandatory sentencing laws are failing to deter offenders.
According to the latest crime statistics, assaults on police and paramedics rose by 18.9 per cent in 2024–25, reaching 3528 incidents—an increase of 561 cases from the previous year. The East Gippsland region recorded 128 assaults, followed by Greater Geelong with 121, Ballarat with 104, and Yarra with 93.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said frontline members were being caught in the surge of violent crime that has “exploded” over the past decade.
“The nature of much of this crime is confronting and violent, and the people called to help are our police,” Gatt said. “They often become the secondary victims of the crimes they are called on to respond to.”
He argued that Victoria’s sentencing practices have long favoured offenders over victims, adding: “People will stop committing violent crime when they know the consequences will meaningfully impact their freedom.”
Ambulance Victoria is facing similar dangers. Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said worsening ambulance response times were contributing to violence against paramedics, with bystanders often becoming distressed or aggressive while waiting for help.
Hill warned the real number of assaults is likely higher, as paramedics frequently walk into volatile environments without prior knowledge of a patient’s violent history, mental health background, or drug use. In some cases, offenders deliberately summon ambulances in order to attack paramedics.
He said mandatory sentencing laws introduced to protect emergency workers were failing in practice, pointing to the 2019 case of James Haberfield, who avoided jail after assaulting paramedic Monica Woods while high on multiple drugs at a music festival. “We’re not seeing the laws actually applied when incidents occur,” Hill said.
Hill described the long-term impact on workers as devastating: “Some never return to work. Others come back with deep anxiety that lasts for years, long after physical injuries have healed.”
A Victoria Police spokesperson said officers routinely put their lives at risk confronting hostile and dangerous individuals. “It is completely unacceptable for anyone to be hit, kicked, spat on or sworn at while doing their job,” he said, noting that a small but concerning minority of the public shows “blatant disregard” for law enforcement.
The spokesperson added that many assaults stem from broader community issues, including drug and alcohol abuse and mental health crises, and require a whole-of-community response. Victoria Police provides psychological and welfare support to members, but sentencing decisions remain the responsibility of the courts.
