Complaints, year by year
Two bases are published. Per 100,000 people measures complaints against the population served. Per 100 sworn staff measures them against the size of the force, which is the fairer comparison if you are asking how often an individual officer is complained about.
| Year | Complaints per 100,000 people | Complaints per 100 sworn staff |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 21.8 | 10.0 |
| 2016-17 | 19.7 | 9.0 |
| 2017-18 | 19.2 | 8.4 |
| 2018-19 | 19.3 | 8.2 |
| 2019-20 | 18.3 | 7.5 |
| 2020-21 | 15.9 | 6.3 |
| 2021-22 | 25.3 | 10.2 |
| 2022-23 | 16.5 | 6.9 |
| 2023-24 | 11.0 | 4.7 |
| 2024-25 | 6.3 | 2.8 |
Deaths in police custody
| Year | Deaths in police custody | Of which Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | 8 | 0 |
| 2008-09 | 3 | 0 |
| 2009-10 | 6 | 0 |
| 2010-11 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012-13 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013-14 | 5 | 0 |
| 2014-15 | 2 | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | 5 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 6 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 6 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 4 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 6 | 1 |
How to complain about Victoria Police
A complaint normally starts with Victoria Police itself, which has its own professional standards command. More serious allegations, and allegations of corruption, go to the state's independent body.
Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission is the independent oversight body for Victoria: www.ibac.vic.gov.au. Its powers differ from those of its counterparts in other states, so do not assume guidance written for another jurisdiction applies here.
A civil claim is a separate process from a complaint, brought in the courts of Victoria under that jurisdiction's limitation rules. Those deadlines are strict and run whether or not a complaint is still being considered.
Victoria police in the news
The five most recent reports mentioning this force, collected automatically. Headlines and links belong to the publishers named. We do not edit, summarise or endorse them, and inclusion here does not imply any finding against anyone.
- 10-year-old victim of random attack was visiting Melbourne for cancer treatment
- CFMEU corruption probe widens to drug trafficking claims
- Sydney Swans ban 5 players for rest of AFL season over hotel misconduct and a police investigation
- Two police officers criminally charged following investigation into arrest of Aboriginal man
- Kelvin Grove: Seven teens charged over man’s murder remain in custody
Data last refreshed , covering 2015-16 to 2024-25. Every figure on this page is recomputed from the source datasets, not edited by hand. Found something wrong? Tell us.