Armed officers to bolster hospital security under opposition proposal

Victoria's opposition has pledged to deploy dozens of armed law enforcement officers in major hospitals across the state, aiming to curb violent incidents if they win the upcoming November election. The Liberal-National Coalition's plan involves a two-year pilot program deploying 70 Protective Services Officers (PSOs) across seven hospitals. These officers would work in shifts, providing an enhanced security presence, responding to serious incidents, assisting with prisoner guarding, and escorting hospital staff to their vehicles.

“

PSOs will provide that security presence, working alongside existing security, integrating with them, and providing a visible deterrence around these hospitals to ensure that patients feel safe and clinicians feel safe.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson stated that the trial would help authorities understand how to best protect hospitals. She emphasized that PSOs would integrate with existing security, offering a visible deterrent to ensure the safety of patients and clinicians. Wilson defended the proposal as not "radical," noting that PSOs are already present in train stations and government buildings and are trained in de-escalation and operational response. She highlighted that police are already frequently called to hospital emergency departments, and PSOs could free up police resources while providing a quicker response to security concerns.

According to Victorian parliamentary reports, nearly 24,000 violent incidents were recorded across public health services in the 2024-2025 financial year. PSOs, first introduced in 2011, have powers to apprehend, arrest, search, and fine individuals within designated public transport areas. The opposition also recently proposed recruiting 200 additional PSOs for train stations.

“

PSOs are on our train stations. They work on government buildings. These people are trained, they know how to de-escalate, they know how to work in an operational sense.

However, the state government has pushed back against the proposal. Minister for Medical Research Anthony Carbines accused the opposition of being "obsessed" with law and order in healthcare, suggesting their focus should be on investing in nurses, health workers, and practitioners instead. Carbines indicated a preference for discussing how to invest in healthcare personnel.

“

It's fascinating that the opposition are more focused about law and order in our health services than investment in nurses, investment in health workers, investment in health practitioners.