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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Victoria Police recruits for first regional academy in Mildura

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Victoria Police is launching its first regional academy in Mildura, with the first recruits starting January 18 next year.
  • The 25-week program will train up to 25 recruits, mirroring the Glen Waverley academy's curriculum.
  • The initiative aims to address staffing vacancies in regional areas and potentially move locations annually if successful.

Victoria Police is breaking new ground with its first regional training academy, set to open its doors in Mildura in January next year. This initiative aims to attract and train local talent, addressing long-standing staffing issues in regional areas. The academy will offer a full 25-week program, accommodating up to 25 recruits in its inaugural intake, mirroring the curriculum delivered at the existing Victoria Police Academy in Glen Waverley.

There'll be no need for anyone to travel to metropolitan Melbourne for any of the assessment process prior to joining the Victoria Police. What we're aiming for is to train local people with a view to them working locally.

— Detective Inspector David RoweDetective Inspector David Rowe explained the rationale behind the new regional academy.

Detective Inspector David Rowe highlighted the academy's potential to remove geographical barriers for aspiring officers. "There'll be no need for anyone to travel to metropolitan Melbourne for any of the assessment process prior to joining the Victoria Police," Inspector Rowe stated. "What we're aiming for is to train local people with a view to them working locally." Recruits will receive a probationary constable's salary of $84,060 plus allowances while training, with the goal of deploying them to positions within the Mallee region, helping to fill vacancies in stations like Kerang, Mildura, Robinvale, and Swan Hill.

This initiative allows us to tap into the wealth of talent we have locally to build a more stable and sustainable workforce.

— Detective Inspector David RoweInspector Rowe discussed the benefits of the academy for local communities.

If the Mildura model proves successful, Victoria Police plans to rotate the academy's location annually, creating a flexible and responsive training strategy. Discussions are ongoing regarding the specific venue in Mildura, with hopes of securing a location that might include accommodation options. The program will incorporate essential training elements like defensive tactics and firearms, utilizing community facilities. Victoria Police anticipates significant interest from western Victoria and border towns in New South Wales and South Australia, viewing this as a blueprint for future regional training across the state.

The beauty of it is, should the Mildura experience be successful, we'll have a model that we can use in other areas across the state.

— Detective Inspector David RoweInspector Rowe expressed optimism about the potential for the academy model.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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