In its first year of operation, IBAC’s Focused Police Complaints Team (FPCT) has assessed more than a hundred cases relating to allegations of misconduct by Victoria Police and launched 28 investigations.
The FPCT is a specialist unit within IBAC that assesses and investigates single-incident complaints about Victoria Police by people from communities considered at a higher risk of experiencing police misconduct.
This includes people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQA+, children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those who are culturally and linguistically diverse and those with mental illness where it relates to their interaction with police.
Since the FPCT commenced embedded operations in December 2024, investigations have occurred relating to complaints from all focused community groups.
Of the 28 investigations launched, 18 have been finalised – IBAC substantiated police misconduct in a third of these investigations and shared concerns and identified misconduct vulnerabilities surrounding policy, training, practice or procedure in all but two cases with Victoria Police.
Themes from these investigations include allegations of unlawful use of force, unlawful searches or detainment, serious mishandling of sexual assault disclosures and allegations of serious mistreatment by police including breaches of human rights.
These investigations resulted in 25 recommendations being made to Victoria Police, and IBAC charging a police officer in relation to the alleged common assault of a child.
IBAC deputy commissioner Liana Buchanan said the FPCT is helping build confidence in IBAC among the focused communities, who can be reluctant to report police misconduct.
“The team’s investigative efforts have continued to uncover recurring themes identified previously by IBAC, such as a failure by some officers to report force used by or against them and a need to increase knowledge among police of their powers and responsibilities,” Deputy Commissioner Buchanan said.
“The FPCT works closely with Victoria Police to understand their training, policies and emerging issues and help identify improvements that can protect the community and police.
“Police in Victoria are often in complex, high-risk situations and need to be supported by strong training and policy frameworks, to not only ensure their safety but fair and safe interactions with all communities.
“Importantly the FPCT is also engaging with community groups to increase awareness and reporting of misconduct incidents, and alongside IBAC’s training programs with Victoria Police, we hope these efforts will support Victoria Police in continually improving integrity practices.”
