IBAC Insights (newsletter)

All Victorians deserve to be treated fairly by police, regardless of your circumstances or where you live.

In May, IBAC re-launched a campaign to encourage regional communities to speak out against police misconduct. The You have the right to not remain silent campaign raises awareness of IBAC's police oversight role and empowers members of the community to report suspected police misconduct or provide information anonymously.

IBAC has independent oversight of Victoria Police to ensure police act impartiality, professionally in accordance with the law and with respect to human rights.

IBAC's jurisdiction covers serious misconduct such as assault, disclosing sensitive police information, major cover-ups, bribery, or fraud. IBAC also takes complaints on any conduct which would bring the force into disrepute or cause the public to lose confidence in police including breaches of human rights such as racism, sexist or discriminatory use of power, degrading treatment, and the safety and wellbeing of a victim or complainant.

IBAC's intelligence suggests there may be incidents of police misconduct that go unreported by the public, particularly in parts of regional Victoria.

IBAC recognises how challenging it can be for someone to make a complaint about suspected police misconduct. These challenges may arise for social, economic, or cultural reasons or because it can be upsetting to speak out.

However, Victorians should feel assured that IBAC takes all complaints seriously and information provided by the public helps to prevent and expose police misconduct. IBAC manages complaints with care and sensitivity and treats a complaint as confidential when requested.

Find out how to safely report police misconduct to IBAC via our website or call 1300 735 135.