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IBAC special report finds ongoing misconduct issues and risks with Victoria Police's Critical Incident Response Team

24/10/2022

A special report tabled in parliament today by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) highlights several incidents, issues and risks involving Victoria Police’s Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT).

The special report Police misconduct issues and risks associated with Victoria Police’s CIRT identifies repeated failures of CIRT officers to accurately report their use of force, a lack of adherence to the Charter of Human Rights, inadequate risk assessment and planning processes, and poor communication by some CIRT officers when responding to incidents.

The report also highlights a lack of gender diversity - with more than 90 per cent of CIRT officers being male - which is not representative of Victoria Police’s broader workforce or the Victorian community.

Despite the difficult nature of CIRT's work, responding to and dealing with high-risk incidents, officers are expected to uphold Victoria Police values, which include safety, integrity, respect, and professionalism.

IBAC Deputy Commissioner, Kylie Kilgour, said the report finds risks and vulnerabilities that undermine CIRT, and the professional standards expected of officers with their level of specialist training, weapons, and expertise.

"Inconsistencies in reporting reduces the transparency of CIRT's use of force on members of the public.

"Inadequate risk assessment processes increase the risk that CIRT officers will use force on members of the public that may result in serious injuries. This is particularly relevant to CIRT due to the nature of the incidents to which it responds and the additional weapons CIRT officers regularly use.

"While most of the recommendations IBAC made to Victoria Police following Operation Lynd and Wingan have been actioned, there are still further opportunities for improvement," Ms Kilgour said.

A key recommendation from this special report is for Victoria Police to improve the accuracy of, and compliance with, its use of force reporting. This will assist both Victoria Police and IBAC to ensure force is used according to policy and legislation and to identify trends and patterns in the use of force by officers that may need to be investigated.

Further recommendations aim to strengthen how CIRT undertakes operational risk assessments, and to ensure consistency in how officers are deployed, while also making sure CIRT officers are clear on their role when they attend incidents.

IBAC is Victoria's agency responsible for preventing and exposing public sector corruption and police misconduct. IBAC's oversight of Victoria Police helps to ensure police officers act fairly, impartially, and according to the law, and has led to action being taken by Victoria Police to address misconduct issues and risks, including regular drug testing of officers and improvements to its complaints handling processes.

  • I’m Kylie Kilgour, and I’m a Deputy Commissioner at IBAC.

    IBAC recently tabled a Special Report on police misconduct issues and risks associated with Victoria Police's Critical Incident Response Team, also known as CIRT, in the Parliament of Victoria.

    The CIRT is a specialist team whose role and responsibilities include:

    • acting as hostage negotiators, or assisting with suicide intervention and counter terrorism responses
    • providing protection for internationally protected people, holders of high public office and international dignitaries
    • providing specialist support at major events, and much more.

    After receiving complaints and notifications about several serious use of force incidents involving some CIRT officers that occurred between 2017 and 2020, IBAC decided to conduct further research into the police misconduct risks raised by these cases and produce this Special Report.

    IBAC acknowledges that for the individuals affected by these incidents there have been long term serious impacts on them and the communities they are part of.

    While some of the incidents referred to in the report happened some time ago now, they highlight risks with how some CIRT officers report their use of force.

    Through the research conducted in preparing the special report, IBAC found:

    • instances of CIRT officers not properly reporting their use of force
    • instances of inadequate risk assessment and planning processes
    • instances of poor communication and coordination between CIRT and general duties officers
    • instances of CIRT officers acting inconsistently with the Charter of Human Rights
    • lack of gender diversity in the unit, in comparison to other areas of Victoria Police.

    It is important to acknowledge that Victoria Police has taken steps in response to the incidents detailed in the report, as well as more broadly, to improve CIRT's operations. These include a plan to introduce an online Victoria Police use of force reporting system that aims to improve transparency and accountability for officers’ use of force, improved training regarding risk assessments and a plan to improve gender diversity.

    I would also like to thank the members of the CIRT and other Victoria Police officers who assisted IBAC to conduct the research work.

    The special report makes several recommendations to Victoria Police for further improvement. These include:

    • requiring further ongoing reports to IBAC on the new use of force system and the training of officers regarding use of force and how it is reported
    • consulting with other police agencies to identify barriers to accurate use of force reporting to inform the design of its new use of force reporting system
    • strengthening CIRT’s approach to risk assessments
    • providing better policy guidance on CIRT officers’ roles and responsibilities at incidents
    • improving gender diversity at each level within CIRT, including leadership roles.

    We have asked Victoria Police to implement our recommendations within 12 months.

    To read the special report in full, go to our website at www.ibac.vic.gov.au. We will also be publishing Victoria Police's responses to the recommendations on our website shortly.

    If you want to report police misconduct, please call 1300 735 135 or fill out the complaints form, which can also be found on our website.

Related resources

Misconduct issues and risks associated with Victoria Police's Critical Incident Response Team
Misconduct issues and risks associated with Victoria Police's Critical Incident Response Team
An overview of IBAC's special report on police misconduct issues and risks associated with Victoria Police's Critical Incident Response Team.