Administrative error leads to 1000 Victorian Police Officers incorrectly sworn in over eight years.
1,076 police officers, 157 protective services and up to 29 police custody officers have been affected by the ‘error’, and have been preforming their duties without any legal powers.
“Administration oversight arose after changes in the law, which took affect in 2014, meant deputy commissioners could no longer appoint colleagues to the position of acting assistant commissioner, without formal authorisation of the chief commissioner”.
“We have identified no such delegation has been put in place” said Victoria Police Chief Chief Commissioner Shane Patton.
“So what that means is that in 2014 to around September last year, the acting assistant commissioner has on occasions sworn in police officers and protective service officers without having the valid powers to do so” he added.
The Commissioner said about 660 officers were being re-sworn in today to ‘fix the issue’.
Police Minister Lisa Neville is urgently drafting prospective laws to ensure criminal cases involving these affected officers will not be able to be challenged in court.
Lisa Neville has made a statement that all officers have acted in good faith and no deliberate misconduct has occurred
