Ken Lay the Police Commissioner elevated (after the last LNP stoush when Ballieu went at Leader in Victoria) stood for the Liberal Party once.Neo-Liberalism Privatisation agenda now targetting Police: more casual employed private security guard patrols; more PSOs on privatised public transport; private companies contract for transportation of prisoners; privatised immigration detention centre guards...what could be worse ? "volunteers" who wanna get tough on crime perhaps ? (Will they be arresting Banksters, dodgy CEOs, donators to the Liberal/National Party racket, fossil fool investors, corrupt Politicians, bosses who let workers die on their sites, etc. unlikely me thinks...)
Volunteer police may help ease budget constraints in future Victorian force, report says
By Gloria KalacheUpdated Tue 3 Jun 2014, 5:22pm AEST PHOTO: A blue paper says more back-office police functions could be carried out by civil servants or other staff. (File photo: Victoria Police)MAP: Melbourne 3000Victoria Police may introduce volunteer officers to "extend the effectiveness" of the force in times of serious budget constraints, according to a reform blue paper.The paper, which indicates reforms to policing in the lead-up to 2025, proposes "a formal volunteer program for Victoria Police to supplement and support the activities of staff".It suggests they could be involved in night-time patrols with police, or with running youth activities sponsored by police in high-crime areas.The force has already started to test the potential of volunteers in crime prevention patrols in troubled parts of Dandenong.What Ken Lay wants:Outsourcing the picking up of detainees and transporting them back to police cells in stationsMore flexible staffing arrangements, with a change from "ownership" of a positionNew budget model not based on fixed numbers of policeBetter matching of resources to demandsMore female staff, second language speakers and Indigenous membersOnline reporting service of crime for the publicBroader collaboration between Victoria Police and other law enforcement agenciesThe paper said police would struggle to meet community expectations if the force did not radically change the way it operated.Other key recommendations included using public servants, partially-sworn officers or external organisations to run back office functions.There are also plans to make the police force more mobile, with smaller stations to be scrapped in favour of "supersites".The paper also called for a greater focus on the use of technology to help free officers from paperwork and the use of mobile technology to respond to crime "hotspots" in real time.Chief Police Commissioner Ken Lay said police need to get smarter when it comes to modern-day policing."We need to get smarter, so that we can respond to complex social issues such as family violence and drugs, and tackle crime before it happens," he said."But to do this, we need a much more flexible model which allows us the freedom to deploy our police members where they are needed, when they are needed."Concerns over civilianisation of police forceThe head of the Police Association, Ron Iddles, said the idea of having volunteers do the work of police is a serious concern."I know it's done in England, and there's issues around it in England, so why would we take on something that historically over there has been in place for a long time," he said."But there are issues between authority and those civilian volunteers."VIDEO: Vic. Police recommendations 'all up for discussion' (ABC News)Similar concerns have also been raised by the former head of the association, Brian Rix.He has serious concerns about "civilianisation" of the police force to support staff."You need to have an understanding of what the front-line people need, so that needs to be kept at some level," he said."The nuts and bolts of servicing a car might be quite easy, but you need that car back on the streets as soon as possible, so you need people with that understanding and ability of what the front line troops need."But Mr Lay says it is a legitimate model of policing and it should be up for discussion."I understand that it can be enormously challenging for some of our work force, for the Police Assocation in particular, but it is a legitimate model of policing in other parts of the world," he said."So it's in the document for some thinking and to have some public conversation about whether this indeed could be an option for Victoria Police."Senior Sergeant Iddles was also critical of setting up "supersites" which would have kiosks that could be used for various policing matters."The kiosks are automated so that you can turn up at a kiosk you can report your crime at a kiosk and upload a photograph and you can report on bail at a kiosk," he said.
"Well I think the reporting of bail at a kiosk would be over my dead body."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-03/volunteer-force-could-supplement-victoria-police-under-proposal/5496410
