The introduction of the Justice Legislation Amendment (Police and Other Matters) Bill 2025 to the Victorian Parliament has caused distress among community legal centres and Aboriginal legal services. Community legal centres strongly oppose the expansion of Protective service officers’ powers. We have been blindsided by these announcements, with no consultation on the plan to expand PSO powers whatsoever.
Protective service officers (PSOs) have been contributing to an unsafe environment for vulnerable communities, Aboriginal people and those experiencing social disadvantage for years. This is because they replicate Victoria police’s patterns of racial profiling and targeted behaviour associated with homelessness, mental health issues and poverty.
This Bill marks another strident move by this government to strengthen police powers, which will only intensify discriminatory policing and surveillance to those that have always been unfairly targeted by this unchecked behaviour. The Bill proposes expanding the powers and duties of PSOs in Victoria, which would include seeing them in broader public spaces beyond train stations such as shopping centres. In Victoria under this new legislation, PSOs will have the same powers as a constable with the Victorian Police. This is a significant broadening of their powers and includes powers to arrest people and hold them in custody.
PSOs undertake a meagre 12-weeks of training. In contrast, police officers must undergo a total of 113 weeks of training, consisting of 24 weeks at the Victoria Police Academy, 26 weeks of placement and 63 weeks of ‘on the job’ training. After just 12-weeks of training, this bill is proposing that PSOs will be in our communities and armed with weapons such as firearms, tasers and OC spray.
Expanding the numbers of PSOs and giving them the same powers of police in more public areas is certainly not the answer to creating a safer environment. PSOs have been criticised for years for being undertrained and repeatedly over-stepping their powers. This is going to make our communities more dangerous, with a higher risk of over-reactions and unnecessary escalations leading to serious injury and deaths.
There is a clear inference in the Bill that the expansion of PSO powers is intended to enable policing of children and young people. Under-trained and trigger happy PSOs who replicate the systemic issues within Victoria Police are the least appropriate group to put in these spaces. Therefore, we are incredibly concerned about the expansion of their powers without any substantive expansion in training or oversight mechanisms. It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt.
If this government wants to keep communities safe, they need to be providing genuine and sustainable investment into social supports and places of safety. This proposed Bill does not aim to address any underlying causes of offending behaviour – many of which are driven by increasing poverty. We ask that the government consults with community legal centres, Aboriginal community groups, and people with a lived experience, which they have so far failed to do.
We call on the government to abandon this Bill, and to refocus investment on evidence-based approaches that work – early intervention, housing support, mental health support, relief of cost-of-living pressures and social services. Increasing surveillance and policing does not keep communities safe. Vesting police powers on untrained, inexperienced and unqualified officers jeopardises the safety of us all.
Quote attributable to Nerita Waight (she/her), CEO of Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
“VALS is incredibly concerned to see this amalgamation of proposed reforms put up to Parliament, many of which have already failed to pass parliament scrutiny previously. Authorising powers to search children who have cognitive impairments without a parent or support person present is extremely invasive, contrary to children’s rights and will cause trauma and harm.”
“The Victorian government is intent on increasing police powers, and in turn disenfranchising and criminalising young people. VALS is also gravely concerned that the scope of Protective Service Officer (PSO) duties and powers have increased over the past few years to encroach more and more into spaces outside the transport system, despite no substantial increase in training. We are strongly opposed to putting PSOs in shopping centres with arrest powers and handguns, especially since there have been significant issues with PSOs overstepping and using unwarranted brutality.
This ramming through of legislation to try and appease the voting public is insulting and disingenuous. This is not leadership, this is not about community safety, this is about power and control. We should all be concerned about this government’s approach.“
Quote attributable to Louisa Gibbs (she/her), CEO of Federation of Community Legal Centres
“The PSO reforms are another example of kneejerk public policy that goes against the evidence base and the voices and advice of those who it will affect – that is, the people in our community. People don’t want more surveillance; they want environments in which they can feel safe. Investing in early intervention and prevention – including housing, healthcare, outreach programs, community-based programs for young people and legal assistance – stops crime and public disorder before it happens.”
“Protection safety officers lack the training needed to identify appropriate responses, and to de-escalate situations. Giving them police powers isn’t just wrong – it’s dangerous.”
Quote attributable to Lee Carnie (they/them), CEO of Youthlaw
“We work with young people every day who are already over-policed, traumatised and unfairly targeted. Giving PSOs police-level powers after only 12 weeks’ training will escalate situations that should never involve force, let alone a firearm.”“Youthlaw’s clients are young people who are disproportionately stopped, questioned and searched, too often without any lawful basis. Expanding PSOs’ powers in public spaces where more children and teenagers hang out – like shopping centres – will supercharge this.”“If the government is serious about community safety, it needs to fund youth workers, mental health supports, housing and early intervention – not giving guns and arrest powers to under-trained PSOs. Young people deserve support, not surveillance.”
Quote attributable to Nadia Morales (she/her), CEO of Inner Melbourne Community Legal – Police Accountability Project
“Protective Service Officers have all the weapons with a tenth of the training – this is a danger to every Victorian. We know police themselves regularly misuse OC spray and tasers, the expansion of PSO to more areas only risks more harm to the community.
“Communities need more services that support and care for people struggling with the cost of living and housing crisis. PSOs in shopping centres is a misdirection from the real problems Victorians face.”
Quote attributable to Monique Hurley (she/her), Associate Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre
“This is a dangerous proposal that will make our communities less safe. Instead of ever-expanding police and PSO powers, the Allan Government should be investing in the housing, health care and community-led programs that strengthen communities.
“In the midst of a mass imprisonment crisis, where people are being subjected to cruel and degrading conditions in overcrowded police cells, the Allan Government must end the pipeline of people into custody and end the status quo of police and PSOs dodging accountability for their actions by establishing a best practice independent Police Ombudsman now.”
MEDIA RELEASE 21 November 2025