Pressure is mounting on Victoria’s police chief after the majority of members declared they had no confidence in him, with reports that he will not stay in the top job.
The result of the vote is being considered by the Victorian government, with Commissioner Shane Patton’s term in the role due to end in coming months.
More than half of the 21,715-member Victorian police force said they had lost confidence in his ability to lead and manage the force.
In a statement, Police Minister Anthony Carbines said he was considering the results of the vote and it would be inappropriate to comment further.
“We acknowledge the result of the vote by [the union] and its members and we value the hard work that our police officers and PSOs do every day in keeping Victorians safe,” he said.
“A process is under way for the role of the chief commissioner of police.”
In a secret ballot where more than 14,500 Police Association members took part, 12,695 workers—or 87 percent—voted ‘'no” when asked if they had confidence Patton could lead and manage Victoria Police in the future.
Victoria Police has not responded publicly to media reports on Saturday claiming Patton would not continue in the role beyond his existing contract.
It comes after more than a year of negotiations over a new pay deal for police, which led to more than a dozen stop-work actions and members rejecting a deal agreed to by their own union, the Police Association of Victoria.
Patton said the ballot result was personally disappointing but he hoped movement on the pay deal would alleviate members’ concerns.
“Rest assured my commitment to the role of chief commissioner has not waivered and I will continue to lead this organisation,” he said in a statement on Friday.
He had been scheduled to appear on a radio interview on Friday but pulled out last minute following the vote of no-confidence.
The vote was a “ground-driven” move by rank-and-file officers who had witnessed colleagues fall off the deep end and a force in decline, police union Secretary Wayne Gatt said.
“They don’t take these things decisions lightly, and it’s difficult for them, but they are calling for a fresh start,” Gatt said.
“They need a circuit breaker, or else they fear nothing will change.”
The vote came after Carbines last week said the government would likely not re-advertise Patton’s position, which is due to expire mid-2025, as he had confidence in Patton.
“Our members wanted to speak for themselves,” Police Association President Karl David said.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin said police were frustrated and claimed the no-confidence vote was effectively against Patton, Carbines, and the state government.
“Shane Patton has been used as a political football here by the Allan Labor government as a scapegoat for the mistakes that they’ve made,” he told reporters on Saturday.
“Changing the chief commissioner does not change the laws here in Victoria and it won’t change the crime crisis we have in our state.”
Ambulance Victoria Chief Executive Jane Miller resigned in August, weeks after the paramedic union passed a vote of no confidence in the executive board and called for the minister to appoint new management.
Senior minister Gabrielle Williams refused to be drawn on whether the state government had confidence in Patton or if he should resign if the vote didn’t go his way.
A revised pay deal is set to be put to a members’ vote.
