Oct 7, 2021 7:21 PM -
Citing ongoing staffing issues, Victoria police say they're pulling seven officers from the region's integrated units and redeploying them as street cops.
The change, which comes into effect on November 7th, means the region's traffic, organized crime and national-security units will be short of officers.
The department says that 39 of its 249 officers are unable to respond to calls for a variety of reasons including physical and psychological injuries, and that 17 other officers are training.
The department says a review of the seven transfers will take place over the next year to assess if staffing resources will allow these positions to be restored.