Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) has announced its strategic priorities for 2024/25.

The state’s corruption watchdog says it will have a strong focus on corrections and youth justice, as well as addressing police misconduct. 

IBAC’s annual plan outlines five key strategic focus areas aimed at preventing and exposing corruption and misconduct within the public sector:

  • high-risk police stations and specialist police teams

  • excessive use of force, including use of force on people at risk (inclusive of use of force by public sector)

  • police responses to family violence incidents and predatory behaviour perpetrated by police

  • high-risk public sector agencies, including those managing high value matters

  • corrections and youth justice.

Dr Linda Timothy, IBAC's Acting CEO, says that the focus on corrections and youth justice is due to the unique corruption risks and vulnerabilities in these areas, exacerbated by increasing prisoner populations and the outsourcing of prison management and staff. 

“As part of this work, we will examine the presence of corruption risks, such as the unlawful use of force in the treatment of children and young people in correction settings,” Dr Timothy says. 

IBAC plans to continue its targeted approach to police oversight, with a particular focus on communities more at risk of experiencing police misconduct. 

Dr Timothy has highlighted the success of a pilot programme in 2023/24 aimed at efficiently investigating single incident complaints of police misconduct involving vulnerable communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people living with disabilities, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and young people.

A significant part of IBAC’s police oversight role involves reviewing the outcomes of Victoria Police’s internal investigations to ensure thoroughness and fairness. 

Dr Timothy says that in the coming year, the commission will review investigations related to police body-worn camera use, non-fatal police shootings, and family violence incidents, as well as predatory behaviour by police. 

IBAC’s prevention activities will include developing resources that highlight risks associated with the rollout of Tasers by Victoria Police. 

Furthermore, the commission will maintain its focus on high-risk public sector agencies, targeting those vulnerable to corruption due to their access to valuable information or their responsibility for high-value investments and public service outsourcing.

To enhance the experience of individuals who submit complaints, IBAC says it will implement improvements through staff training, better assessment processes, the development of trauma-informed resources and letters, and making online complaint and anonymous reporting forms more accessible.