Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

Chief Commissioner

  • SIMON OVERLAND

    I am pleased to welcome you to the “Policing Just Outcomes” research website. This is a Large Australian Research Council Linkage Grant awarded to Edith Cowan University with Victoria Police as the Industry Partner. Professor S. Caroline Taylor, Foundation Chair of Social Justice at Edith Cowan University has an impressive track record in the field of sexual violence and the criminal justice system and is the project’s Lead Chief Investigator.  Professor David Bradley from Victoria Police is the lead Partner Investigator on this project. Collaborating institutions include the Universities of Tasmania involving Chief Investigator Professor Jenny Fleming. Victoria Police has a large applied research program, of which this project is a very important part. We want to continuously improve our policies and practices especially when providing services to vulnerable people. This project will help to provide us with the knowledge and understanding we need, along with our partner organisations and stakeholders, to respond more effectively and sensitively to the victims of adult sexual assault.

    There are two key questions we need to know the answers to. First, why is it that most victim-survivors do not report their experiences to the police? Second, why do many of those who do report to the police choose not to continue with their case?  No doubt the decision-making processes involved are complex and difficult. However, what we want is to ensure to the greatest degree possible that non-reporting is not based upon perceptions that we, the police, will not provide a sensitive and supportive response to victim-survivors of sexual assault. Under the leadership of Professor Taylor, Policing Just Outcomes researchers have developed a unique and innovative online survey. The survey is designed to allow adult victim/survivors of sexual violence to tell us about their experiences in deciding whether or not to report the crime to police and if they did report, what was their experience of police. In addition we want to know the barriers faced by victim-survivors that contribute to, and compromise their decision making about whether or not to contact police. This well-designed and safe online survey of victim-survivors will go a long way to providing us with evidence about perceptions of the police and what we may need to do better or differently to ensure the best possible service to them.

    I greatly appreciate this collaborative research project. I invite you to browse through the project website to familiarise yourself with the project research that is currently underway by the research team.  I strongly urge you to participate in the survey.

    Best wishes
    Simon Overland
    Chief Commissioner of Police
    Victoria Police

    CHRISTINE NIXON

    I am pleased to welcome you to the Policing Just Outcomes website. Victoria Police has no less than sixteen Australian Research Council-funded applied research projects but none of them exceeds this one in level of funding, in importance, and in the prospect it offers of significant social change.

    When I became Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police some six years ago I was determined that we would develop strong evidence-based policies and practices, ones that demonstrably worked for the safety and well-being of the people we serve. A critical area of concern to me was violence against women. In particular, adult sexual assault is utterly unacceptable in a civilised society but so long as it occurs I want the police response to it to be as decent and supportive for victim survivors as it can be, and as strong and effective as it should be to bring perpetrators to justice. This research will help us achieve these just outcomes.

    I understand that this Linkage grant award was the largest in its funding round last year. Professor Caroline Taylor, as the leading Chief Investigator, and her school and university, are to be congratulated for this achievement. Working closely with Victoria Police, and with collaborating institution the University of Tasmania, I am confident that Policing Just Outcomes will break new ground in dealing with one of our society's most wicked issues.

    Christine Nixon APM
    Former Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police 2001 – 2009.