Victoria Police officers can now charge organisers for policing events, according to new legislation introduced in Victorian Parliament on Thursday, June 23.
The Justice Legislation Amendment (Police and Other Matters) Bill 2022 produces changes that will assist police in carrying out their day-to-day processes and continuing to provide certain services that the community expects.
The reforms will allow Victoria Police to charge for profit sporting, entertainment, and commercial operators for their policing services at events.
Before these new reforms take effect, the commercial events industry will be advised on the specific regulations which will be required.
Police can currently only enter into agreements with commercial operators for additional police services inside events but cannot recover costs for services outside venues such as traffic management and managing crowd behaviour.
Victorian Minister for Police Lisa Neville said these reforms were needed for Victorian police officers to do their jobs.
“We’re delivering sensible but necessary reforms that support the day-to-day operations of Victoria Police,” she said.
“So they can continue their excellent work keeping Victorians safe.”
Police will also have greater powers under the legislation to protect the security of police premises, including police stations. It enables officers to move people on who do not have a genuine reason to be at police stations or present a risk to the peace. Presently, police officers could only remove hostile individuals from police premises if they have committed an offence.
As outlined by the legislation the Chief Commissioner can now take more than one disciplinary action in response to a police officer or Protective Service Officers who have a criminal charge proven against them and it also amends the Sex Offender Registration Act to support police to actively monitor registered sex offenders.