Victoria Police pays out nearly $47 million to settle hundreds of civil claims since 2020, as officer dismissals on the rise, new report finds
Victoria Police is facing mounting financial pressure as civil claims against officers hit new highs, with the force now spending close to $10 million annually to resolve misconduct allegations.
Official data indicates that since 2020, the state's police agency has paid out $46.5 million to finalise 345 civil actions.
In the most recent financial year alone, 75 cases were settled – the largest number recorded in the past five years.
The spike in settlements is partly attributed to the resolution of complex, long-standing legal disputes.
While the exact details and nature of individual claims are typically kept confidential, often bound by legal agreements, the overall cost to the public purse remains significant.
Civil litigation financial settlements dramatically rose from $6.7m in 2020-2021 to $15.3m in 2021-2022, with the last annual report showing it standing at $8.8m from July 2024 to April 2025.
However, a police spokesman said it was too difficult to detail the nature of the claims brought against Victoria Police.
"Civil litigation against Victoria Police is rare compared with the thousands of interactions our members have with the public every day," he said.
"Financial settlements can fluctuate each year depending on the number of matters and when they were resolved, with some substantive cases running over several years before reaching a conclusion.
"The rise recorded so far this financial year is largely attributable to a number of long-running complex matters being resolved."
The police spokesman said payouts included both settlements and court-awarded costs and that individual settlement amounts were generally not disclosed at the agreement of the parties involved.
"Individual settlement amounts are generally not disclosed at the agreement of the parties involved," he said.
"There may also be legal restrictions in place preventing any acknowledgement civil action even exists.
"Victoria Police conducts a thorough investigation before the finalisation of any civil matter and our decisions are always based on independent legal advice."
Disciplinary action within the force has also seen an uptick showing a steady flow of dismissals and internal charges.
In the 2023 financial year, 11 officers were removed from duty, with another 87 facing formal disciplinary charges.
This follows a similar trend in preceding years, with 30 officers leaving the force in 2022 under misconduct circumstances, and 11 more dismissed the year before.
Over a ten-year span, 711 officers have been charged with a combined total of 903 misconduct offences, leading to the dismissal of 85 members of the force.
Calls for independent oversight have grown louder, with legal advocates arguing that the current system fails to provide adequate transparency.
The push for an independent Police Ombudsman remains strong, with the Police Accountability Project highlighting systemic flaws, including that only 0.4 per cent of complaints in 2020–2021 were independently investigated by IBAC.
A survey of Victoria Police staff reveals 85 per cent acknowledged misconduct occurs, yet only 48 per cent felt it was a state-wide problem, and just 21 per cent perceived issues within their own workplace.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) continues to receive a high volume of concerns about Victoria Police.
A 2018 Parliamentary inquiry recommended that IBAC, not Victoria Police, should lead investigations into serious misconduct.
In the last reporting year, nearly two-thirds of all complaints submitted to the agency related to the force.
IBAC processed 3,016 allegations linked to 2,249 complaints - a 15 per cent rise compared to the previous year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
4 hours ago
- 7NEWS
‘Go back': Melbourne woman fatally shot by police after ignoring 10 warnings
A woman behind the wheel of an SUV that pinned a police officer to a fence was warned to 'go back' 10 times before she was shot and killed. Madeline Margaret Henry, 33, was shot dead on May 24 in South Melbourne after allegedly driving towards a male senior constable during the arrest of a machete-wielding man. An inquest on Monday heard preliminary evidence, mostly drawn from CCTV and body-worn camera footage, on the lead-up to the deadly shooting. The dramatic series of events was set in motion after a 39-year-old South Melbourne man who was allegedly carrying a machete was spotted at Park Towers. Henry was visiting the 31-storey public housing towers and left about the same time as police sighted the man and called out to him by name, the court was told. A police divvy van gave chase after he rode off on a scooter, with a CCTV camera showing a Ford Territory driven by Henry following behind. The suspect was grappled to the ground by a first constable as the senior constable approached to assist after running over the scooter. The SUV stopped on Church Street with its passenger side door open as a 26-year-old male passenger walked into Dow Street with his hands at shoulder height. He described himself as a friend of the suspect and claimed to own the scooter. The senior constable drew his gun and said 'don't you dare drive that car up here' as the front wheels of the car crossed the broken line at the east end of Dow Street. 'The senior constable walked east down Dow Street towards the Ford with his firearm raised in front of him, three times directing it to go back,' counsel assisting Samantha Brown told the court. The second man got back inside the Ford as it continued forward, with the senior constable pointing his gun at Henry and broadcasting on radio that a car was 'trying to run us over here'. The officer stabbed the front-passenger side tyre with a blade as the SUV mounted the footpath and came to rest against the fence, pinning his left leg between it and the bumper. 'As the constable stood up he pointed his firearm and fired four times through the windscreen of the Ford,' Brown said. 'Five seconds had elapsed between the senior constable's 10th direction to get back and the discharging of the firearm.' Henry died at the scene, while the senior constable was hospitalised with leg injuries. Her passenger suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital, along with the 39-year-old man who was later charged. The inquest will not make findings of guilt or innocence or apportion blame for Henry's death. 'The focus of the coronial investigation is likely to be on identifying any precipitants to Henry's actions immediately before her death,' Brown said. 'And the reasonableness of the police use of force in response to them.' Coroner John Cain expects a brief of evidence to be filed by September 22, with the inquest's next hearing likely falling in October. Henry's mother watched the hearing online. Speaking on behalf of Victoria Police's chief commissioner, lawyer Ben Lloyd expressed his and the force's condolences and regret at the loss of Henry's life and promised to co-operate with the inquest. Homicide squad detectives with oversight from Professional Standards Command are conducting a separate investigation, as is standard for fatal police shootings.
ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
Ballarat Grammar launches third investigation into boys' boarding houses
A prestigious regional Victorian independent school has launched its third investigation in five months into allegations of "serious misconduct" in its boys' boarding houses. In a letter to parents today, Ballarat Grammar (BGS) said over the past fortnight new information had "come to light", and it would now begin an investigation. In February, reports emerged of allegations of student-on-student abuse within Dart House, prompting an independent inquiry into the school's culture. Victoria Police said it continued to investigate the incidents that occurred between 2023 and 2024 at Ballarat Grammar. In the letter, the school said it commissioned another independent investigation into the second boys' boarding facility, Wigan House. "The findings from this investigation have been reviewed and appropriate actions are now being implemented," the letter said. "[Ballarat Grammar School] continues to cooperate with Victoria Police, as requested. "While our independent processes are limited to current students and staff, we continue to urge anyone with historical concerns or allegations to contact the police directly." BGS said a full boarding review, conducted by Bradley Fenner, resulted in 32 recommendations, 31 of which had been adopted. The school said it had now implemented stronger supervision and staffing, enhanced training and oversight, upgraded security, and improved communication, reporting, cultural education and leadership. The one remaining recommendation was to rebuild or "significantly reconfigure Dart House", which is instead being considered by the school "in the context of longer-term infrastructure planning". BGS said "through both investigations and feedback from students, parents and staff, it became clear that a broader cultural shift was also needed".
SBS Australia
5 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Victoria records highest number of arrests in 172 years as crime rate soars
627,268 criminal offences were recorded in Victoria in the 12 months to the end of March 2025 — an increase of 91,692 offences compared to the previous year. Victoria Police says officers have removed an average of 44 blades from the hands of offenders every day this year. Youth crime remains at its highest level since electronic records began in 1993. "I woke up shocked when I received a call from Victoria Police in the middle of the night telling me that my cars had been stolen and they were coming to my house," recalls Sanjeev, a resident of Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. Sanjeev, an Indian-origin man, says the break-in—which occurred while his wife and two children were asleep—left his children traumatised. Following the incident, the family eventually sold their home. However, this is not an isolated case. Aggravated residential burglaries are 'at a historic high' in Victoria, according to the latest data revealed by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA). Overall, crimes in Victoria have increased by 17.1 per cent in the past 12 months up to March 2025, the data has revealed. One of the fastest-growing offence types was motor vehicle theft, with 31,551 offences recorded—an increase of 47.1 per cent compared to the previous year. While the CSA does not report specific data on knife-related crimes, Victoria Police says knife crime remains "an ongoing concern". 'Knife crime is another area of intense focus for Victoria Police, with officers removing an average of 44 blades from the hands of criminals every day this year," Acting Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations David Clayton said in an official statement . Child crime—defined as offences committed by individuals aged 10 to 17—remains at its highest level since electronic records began. Data report by CSA The Victorian Labor government has announced a series of measures to address the surge in crime. However, the state opposition argues these steps are insufficient and more action is needed. Listen to a full report on this via this podcast: SBS Punjabi 23/06/2025 10:28 🔊 Find all our podcasts and stories that matter here at SBS Punjabi Podcast Collection. 💻 For news, information and interviews in Punjabi from across Australia and the homeland, you can tune in to SBS Punjabi live from Monday to Friday at 4pm on SBS South Asian on digital radio, on channel 305 on your television, via the SBS Audio app or stream from our website . 📲 Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram .
