Victorians who repeatedly commit acts such as burglaries, robberies and assaults will be targeted by police through newly-created dedicated Crime Reduction Teams.
The Victorian government’s plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 is facing scrutiny as the state’s youth crime crisis worsens.
Senior Labor members want the Premier to water down the proposed reforms.
The government will raise the age a child can be arrested, charged and jailed from 10 to 12 this year.
They had hoped to raise the age to 14 by 2027.
The policy has been criticised by Victoria Police and the Opposition.
The force revealed on Monday it had established Crime Reduction Teams in a bid to crackdown on Victorians who have an extensive criminal history.
It means Victoria Police now boasts “dedicated units exclusively responsible for monitoring repeat offenders”.
The teams are now operating across metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong, with plans for the dedicated units to be embedded across all of Victoria from January 1.
Victoria Police have established new Crime Reduction Teams. Stock image. Picture: Chris Putnam / Future Publishing
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Officers within the new teams have been tasked with case managing criminals who have repeatedly committed acts such as burglaries, robberies, assaults and car thefts.
The dedicated units will carry out bail compliance and Firearm Prohibition Order checks, and will also refer individuals to support services and diversion programs.
“Crime Reduction Team officers will have two main objectives when engaging with offenders – stopping further offending and providing support pathways that encourage rehabilitation,” Victoria Police said.
“The Crime Reduction Teams will have consistent interactions with the person, their family and relevant support agencies for as long as they are monitored.
Victorian Police will be given powers to conduct random weapons searches in certain targeted areas.
These will be larger areas such as shopping centres and train stations.
This comes amid the growing youth crime crisis in Victoria.
“These interactions will include bail compliance checks, referrals to support services and diversion programs, patrols of locations where the person frequents and has offended previously, conducting Firearm Prohibition Order Checks, and extending necessary support and referrals to the individuals family.”
Victoria Police said the teams will also target “key influencers who encourage others to commit crime”.
Having the dedicated units will also mean “consistent coordination that targets the repeat offending that is occurring”.
The measure comes just weeks after the Allan government outlined a “tough new regime” to deal with young repeat offenders in Victoria.