In the past year, Victoria Police has improved the use of body-worn cameras, allowing interviews to be conducted at arrest locations.
Now, a new mobile app will allow officers to charge and bail lower-level offenders at the point of detection.
It’s estimated it will save more than three hours of police time on each occasion, or the equivalent of 53,000 policing hours each year.
“We are also in the process of rolling out significant organisational changes that are geared towards having more police in the community preventing crime,” Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Bob Hill said.
“This includes transferring administrative duties performed by officers to non-sworn staff, as well as delivering technological advancements that allow police to conduct everyday tasks.”
Victoria Police says the progressive initiative will mean officers can be deployed where they are most needed, in the community preventing crime before it happens.
The announcement comes with Victoria Police’s release of last year’s crime statistics, which it says are beginning to stabilise.
“Our officers are remarkably efficient at holding prolific and dangerous offenders accountable, with thousands of youth gang arrests, record knife seizures, and family violence offenders locked up every half hour,” Deputy Commissioner Hill said.
“This has occurred at a time when Victoria Police has also dedicated significant resources towards managing rolling major protests, bushfires, floods and regular major events.”
The new mobile app will be rolled out to officers from September.
