VicPD doesn't reach out to schools about alleged concerns

In late February and early March, VicPD made statements about gangs at schools and a related arrest from January, which they used to advocate for school liaison officers. An FOI shows that in the two months prior, nobody at VicPD wrote to SD61 to mention the word “gang,” let alone any specific concerns or the arrest.

Gangs and gang recruitment are undoubtedly a thing, but it is worth questioning how VicPD uses schools and children as a public relations tool to call for more policing, and the harms of involving police in kids’ lives.