The Victorian Government is urgently developing retroactive legislation to address an administrative error that has resulted in over 1,000 police officers being sworn in over the past eight years.
The error affected 1,076 police officers, 157 security officers and up to 29 police officers who performed their duties without legal authority.
Victoria Chief Police Commissioner Shane Patton said the “administrative oversight” came about after the law was changed in July 2014 to prevent deputy commissioners from appointing their colleagues to the position of acting assistant commissioner without official police permission.
Chief Commissioner Patton said that about 660 officers enlisted today will be re-sworn in before any assignments, and the rest will be re-sworn in as soon as possible.