Dangerous drivers will be targeted earlier and stronger safety controls will be placed on recreational firearms under new legislation introduced into Victorian Parliament on Tuesday, November 14.
Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines introduced the Justice Legislation Amendment (Police and Other Matters) Bill into Victorian Parliament.
The bill will deliver reforms to ensure Victoria Police have what they need to keep the community safe.
The bill introduces new circumstances in which police can deploy vehicle immobilising devices such as road spikes and stop sticks to intervene to prevent and stop dangerous drivers earlier on.
Currently, police can only deploy them when they are trying to prevent a driver from escaping custody, avoiding arrest and stopping a moving vehicle in limited circumstances.
The new powers will allow police to pre-emptively deploy the immobilising devices where they have reasonable suspicion that a vehicle is a risk to the safety of the driver, a passenger, a police officer or another person.
The bill also strengthens firearm controls by placing a special condition on category A or A and B long-arm firearm licences for hunting, sport or target shooting.
The condition will prevent bolt-action shotguns from being paired with large-capacity detachable magazines, which are unnecessary for these recreational activities.
To support the National Firearms Amnesty, the bill will allow licensed firearms dealers to formally receive firearms from unlicensed people – encouraging people to hand them in without fear of being arrested and prosecuted.
Separately, the bill will enhance Victoria Police’s disciplinary system by amending the Victoria Police Act 2013 to expressly allow the Chief Commissioner of Police to issue a code of conduct that is binding on all Victoria Police personnel and failure to comply with it will result in disciplinary action.
The code itself will not be written into the Victoria Police Act, allowing it to be a living document that can be updated in response to future community needs and stakeholder feedback without needing legislative change.
In addition, the bill will extend the timeframe for when Victoria Police can charge a person for incorrectly accessing, using or disclosing police information inappropriately from one year to three years.
This recognises the serious consequences that can flow from the misuse of sensitive police information, including the privacy and safety of members of the public.