In short:
Victoria will recruit another 150 Protective Services Officers and expand where they can patrol amid ongoing concerns over crime. Operation Pulse will also continue at major shopping centres including Pacific Werribee until the end of 2027.
PSO Program Expands
The Victorian Government will recruit another 150 Protective Services Officers as it looks to increase the police presence at shopping centres and local shopping strips amid continued concern over crime across the state.
The recruitment takes the number of new PSOs funded over the past year to 200, with regulatory changes also planned to allow them to patrol more locations experiencing crime and anti-social behaviour.
The changes will expand the traditional role of PSOs beyond transport hubs, allowing them to be deployed more widely to locations including local shopping strips.
The government will also extend and expand Victoria Police’s Operation Pulse until the end of 2027, which places police officers and PSOs at major shopping centres including Pacific Werribee.
More than 1,700 people have been arrested and 3,500 charges laid since Operation Pulse began.
Pacific Werribee has already received an increased police presence through the operation, which targets offences including theft, weapons and drug crime.
The announcement comes as Victoria’s crime crisis remains one of the Labor Government’s major political challenges, prompting a series of policing and justice measures aimed at addressing crime and growing community concern.
The expanded PSO powers are intended to give Victoria Police greater flexibility to deploy officers based on crime trends and intelligence.
