VIPER Taskforce to target organised crime

Editorial: Danielle Ford

Photography: Jesse Wray McCann

Victoria Police has a new approach in its fight against serious and organised crime groups.

The VIPER Taskforce is a tactical and investigative unit based within Crime Command focused on preventing, detecting, deterring, disrupting and dismantling the criminal activities of groups such as outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs), organised crime networks and street gangs.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the taskforce supports the work of specialist investigation units and regional police by providing further resources to assist with investigation tactics and enforcement actions.

“We want to create the most hostile environment for organised crime in Victoria and we make no apologies for that,” CCP Patton said.

“The VIPER Taskforce will increase the pressure on these criminal groups through a range of enforcement activities designed to hold them to account. We will be targeting their every activity.”

It is the first time Victoria Police has created a taskforce of this nature, which was developed following an examination of similar models across Australia and internationally.

“As the nature of organised crime continues to evolve, we know we have to be agile and change the way we confront these groups,” CCP Patton said.

"I have no doubt the VIPER Taskforce will significantly enhance our ability to proactively target, disrupt and dismantle organised crime.”

VIPER brings together detectives, general duties police, intelligence officers and members of the Public Order Response Team, with support from specialised road policing members, to create a multi-discipline team.

This diverse mix of specialist skills and experience within a single taskforce provides a unique opportunity for police to target all aspects of criminality linked to these groups, their associates and facilitators.

There are police officers who have initially been deployed to the VIPER Taskforce, which is led by Detective Inspector Anthony Brown.

Day to day, their work involves a range of enforcement and prevention actions with the flexibility to be deployed anywhere in the state at short notice.

They also proactively target criminals, including those involved in incidents such as homicides and shootings.

This means members of the public can expect to see an increased and highly-visible response to incidents across the state involving serious and organised crime groups.

The VIPER Taskforce also proactively targets known members, associates and facilitators of these groups to ensure police are doing everything possible to create a hostile environment for those involved in this criminality.

Examples of this include firearm prohibition order searches, bail compliance checks, policing of OMCG runs, vehicle checks enforcement, and deployment to events known to host members of serious and organised crime groups.

Critically, the work of the VIPER Taskforce builds on the contemporary intelligence Victoria Police has on these groups and those involved or associated with them.

They also work closely with a range of other state and federal law enforcement agencies to take advantage of contemporary organised crime intelligence from across the country.

“This is one of the most significant, coordinated and proactive moves against organised crime syndicates in Victoria Police’s history and I expect there will be immediate results when it comes to community safety,” CCP Patton said.

Image: Hostile environment CCP Shane Patton (middle) and VIPER Taskforce OIC Det Insp Anthony Brown (second from right) launched the taskforce earlier this year alongside detectives and members from the Public Order Response Team.

For the latest police news visit police.vic.gov.au/news