According to reports, there will be no renewal of Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton’s contract due to a vote of no confidence from officers in the force.
Last week, Police Minister Anthony Carbines suggested that Patton’s contract would be prolonged, stating that he had the support of both the government and police members.
However, this statement prompted The Police Association Victoria (TPAV) to hold a ballot to gauge the confidence level of its members in Patton.
Patton joined the force in 1978 and was chief of staff to Simon Overland during Melbourne’s gangland war.
He was promoted to Deputy Commissioner in 2015 and named Chief Commissioner in 2020.
His first major job in the role was enforcing COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
In the years since, Patton has overseen a surge in youth crime and resignations and has also failed to finalise a new pay deal for the past two years. 
“It’s not the pay dispute. It’s the conditions,” David said.
“Crime continues to go up. Morale continues to fall. Recruiting continues to stagnate. Our retention gets worse and worse.”
