Victoria Police has appointed an assistant commissioner to lead Australia’s first ever command dedicated to tackling family violence.
Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter will head up the Family Violence Command, responsible for combating family violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
Assistant Commissioner McWhirter has been in the police force for 35 years and has worked mostly in the areas of crime and intelligence, as well as in leadership roles in ethical standards and at the police academy.
“I promise two things: to always listen and to put the victim’s needs at the centre of everything we do,” Assistant Commissioner McWhirter said in a statement released on Tuesday morning. “I can tell you that our command will be dedicated to the victims and survivors of these horrendous crimes that are far too prevalent in our community.”
Acting Chief Commissioner Tim Cartwright said he hoped the appointment would send the message to the community that family violence remained a priority for the force.
“Over the last 10 years Victoria Police has focused on violence against women and children and family violence,” he said. “I’ve appointed Assistant Commissioner McWhirter to this role knowing that he will speak out as loudly and as often as he can to educate the community.”
Chief Commissioner Cartwright said Assistant Commissioner McWhirter had already began planning for more intensive education for police members.
