By Matthew Sims
Victoria Police have launched new teams across a number of areas, including in Dandenong, towards stopping further offending and providing support pathways which encourage rehabilitation.
Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Neil Paterson announced the launch of the Crime Reduction Teams on Monday 1 July, with the focus being on managing highly recidivist repeat offenders, such as burglaries, robberies, assaults and car thefts.
“The primary focus of these police is going to be engagement with these people that are offending,” he said.
“This isn’t babysitting, this is about a primary function of Victoria Police in preventing crime.
“All of this work is absolutely necessary at the moment, given some of the significant rises in some of the harmful crimes that we’ve seen over this last 12-month period.”
Deputy Commissioner Paterson said the teams’ operations would include executing firearm prohibition checks and patrolling locations where offenders are known to frequently target, while Crime Investigation Unit detectives would be rostered to undertake enforceable actions.
“We know that this style of model works,” he said.
“We’ve seen it work in other countries around the world.
“We’re really going to be focused on diverting them away from criminal offending.”
The Crime Reduction Teams would have consistent interactions with the person, their family and relevant support agencies for as long as they are monitored.
The new teams would support Operation Alliance and Operation Trinity, which have helped arrest more than 2700 children and youth over the past 12 months.
The new teams would eventually expand further into regional Victoria, with Victoria Police aiming to embed Crime Reduction Teams across the state by 1 January 2025.
