Neil Mitchell: Police Minister should be briefed on New York style policing

Police Minister Wade Noonan should educate himself on the New York style of policing, Neil Mitchell says.

He said he was ‘surprised’ Mr Noonan hadn’t been briefed on the ‘Broken Windows’ approach, which is being introduced in Melbourne’s inner suburbs to crackdown on low level crime.

Earlier, Neil Mitchell spoke to a former New York Police Commissioner about the tough on crime approach.

He said while Victoria shouldn’t become a ‘police state’ the minister should be across it.

‘You don’t make the decision, you lead the discussion,’ he said.

‘I would have thought if he’s a good minister he would by now, as he goes into parliament, be on to one of his chief minders and say give me a full briefing on the Broken Windows philosophy.’

But the minister said he was clear about his role and would leave operational model of policing to chief commissioner Graham Ashton.

‘I’m not familiar with the New York style of policing,’ Mr Noonan said.

‘My role is not to be operational.

‘When you get politicians telling police how to do their job I think that’s wrong.’

Meanwhile, the government has announced new monitoring conditions for Victorian sex offenders in a bid to close gaps in the judicial system.

Mr Noonan outlined the new powers on 3AW Mornings to be introduced into parliament today and said a team of police officers will also form part of the raft of new measures.

LISTEN: Wade Noonan on new police powers for serious sex offenders, New York policing