Victoria Police have implemented cost-cutting measures to reduce its spending following a budget blowout on crime fighting operations that has seen the state spend as much as New South Wales (NSW)on law and order enforcement, despite being one-third in geographical size. According to The Age, spending on police courts and prisons grew at double or triple the rate of any other Australian state and territory over the past decade, and there are concerns that Victoria Police may no longer be financially sustainable. The Age reported that a big part of Victoria Police’s budget was spent on new police stations and high-tech gear, including military-style assault rifles, anti-riot equipment, armoured personnel carriers, and a new fleet of aircraft. “We need an effective police force, but successive governments have prioritised police and prison spending over spending on the things that work to address the root causes of crime, like education, housing, mental health and disability …