Today at Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearings, the full extent of the damaged caused by Daniel Andrews’ failed COVID-19 response on community confidence in Victoria Police has been revealed.
Budget papers have confirmed that community confidence in Victoria Police is expected to remain at decade lows in 2020-21, as Chief Commissioner Shane Patton acknowledged the ongoing fall in community confidence is a “significant issues” over which he has had a number of briefings with Government to try and address.
Furthermore, Chief Commissioner Patton stated “some chinks had come off us, in terms of trust”, as the Andrews Labor Government has consistently used Victoria Police as a tool to enforce excessive and inconsistent lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions.
As a consequence, frontline Victoria Police officers are now bearing the brunt of the communities’ frustration – making ordinary policing and community safety duties all the harder.
Labor has no plan to reverse the damage it has caused to Victoria Police’s reputation and Victorians need a new government, with a new plan to rebuild the relationship between police and community.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Police and Crime Prevention, David Southwick:
“Daniel Andrews’ do-as-I-say-or-else approach to COVID-19 has driven community confidence in Victoria Police to its lowest point in a decade.
“Frontline Victoria Police have been placed in an impossible situation and are now the ones paying the price of Daniel Andrews’ failed COVID-19 response.
“Under Labor, confidence is only getting worse, not better and Victorians need a new government, with a new plan to rebuild the relationship between police and community.”
