Following a crime announcement blitz from the Victorian opposition, the Allan Labor government has set aside $137.7 million in the May 5 state budget for crime-fighting efforts.
It will spend $62 million to recruit up to 200 reservists, $18.3 million on 3000 iPhones for specialist police and $13.4 million to lift tobacco store inspector numbers from 14 to 40.
Another $44 million has already been earmarked to put an extra 50 protective service officers on the beat.
It comes as four teens were charged over a string of offences, including a brawl in Port Melbourne on Monday.
They had allegedly been fighting, with reports of several males hanging out the windows of a stolen car which fled when police arrived.
The group were eventually arrested and several hatchets, a sledgehammer and a steel pole were allegedly found in the vehicle.
A 14-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl, both from the greater Melton area, were charged with motor vehicle theft and affray.
A 16-year-old boy from the Merri-bek area was charged with motor vehicle theft, aggravated carjacking, burglary and affray. He was bailed to appear at a children's court at a later date.
A 16-year-old boy from the greater Dandenong area, who was on bail at the time, was bailed again after being charged with motor vehicle theft and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Victoria's crime rate had stabilised but remained too high, Police Minister Anthony Carbines said.
"If we continue to provide the investments that Victoria Police need to free up frontline resources ... then we'll see the results that we're looking for," he told reporters on Wednesday.
Detectives, investigators and officers who attend crime scenes will be given iPhones so they don't have return to the station as often to file paperwork.
Mr Carbines defended the scale of the technology funding, which equates to $6100 per device, saying it was based on police advice.
Reservist recruits will be made up of retired and former police, freeing up more frontline officers to hit the streets.
Victoria Police Chief Commission Mike Bush described the reservist boost as a "start", while acknowledging the force remained 1500 officers short.
The Victorian opposition has signalled its intention to recruit 3000 more police officers, including from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, if it wins the November state election.
More than $1.6 billion in government spending has been announced over the past five days as Treasurer Jaclyn Symes prepares to deliver her second budget, which is forecasted to post a modest surplus in 2025/26, the first since 2019/20.
17°C