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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Benita Kolovos

‘Starting to look a little reckless’: questions raised over 1,200 unauthorised Victorian police officers

Badges on Victoria police shirts
An ‘administrative oversight’ has left 1,200 police and protective officers in Victoria working without proper powers. Photograph: Joe Castro/AAP

The revelation that more than 1,000 Victoria police officers have been working without proper authority for up to eight years is part of a “pattern” that raises serious concerns around police accountability, according to legal experts.

The state’s chief commissioner, Shane Patton, on Thursday revealed between July 2014 and August 2021 1,076 police officers, 157 protective service officers and 29 police custody officers had been incorrectly sworn following the introduction of the Victoria Police Act.

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