VICTORIA Police have unveiled a new approach in its fight against serious and organised crime groups, with the Visibility, Intelligence, Prevention, Enforcement and Reassurance (VIPER) Taskforce commencing this coming Monday.

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

The taskforce was developed through examining similar models across Australia and internationally, and will support the work of specialist investigation units and regional police by providing further resources to assist with investigation tactics and enforcement actions.

It will bring 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 will provide a unique opportunity for police to target all aspects of criminality linked to these groups, their associates, and facilitators.

80 police officers will initially be deployed to the VIPER Taskforce, which will be led by a detective inspector.

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

They will proactively target criminals including those involved in incidents such as homicides and shootings, as well as known members, associates, and facilitators of these groups in an effort to create a hostile environment for those involved in this criminality.

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

Victoria Police chief commissioner, Shane Patton, said they would not apologise for the VIPER Taskforce creating “the most hostile environment” for organised crime in Victoria.

“The VIPER Taskforce will increase the pressure on these criminal groups through a range of enforcement activities designed to hold them to account,” he said.

“We will be targeting their every activity.

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

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

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

CCP Patton said he believes the taskforce will be effective in bringing down serious and organised crime groups across the state.

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

“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.”

Members of the public can expect to see an increased and highly visible police response to incidents across the state involving serious and organised crime groups.

The VIPER Taskforce was recommended after the completion of the Crime Command review in 2021 and marks the first time Victoria Police has created a taskforce of this nature.

Anyone with information about serious and organised crime activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report to crimestoppersvic.com.au