Unveiling an overhaul of Victoria Police, Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said there was a "major crime problem in Victoria" and far too many victims.
"No one should live in fear of people breaking into their homes overnight, stealing cars, carjackings, violence in the street, violence at retail outlets, knife crime," he told reporters on Monday.
Two groups armed with machetes clashed a shopping centre at Broadmeadows in Melbourne's north on Friday night, while a Hawthorn home owner chased down one of two teens charged with two aggravated burglaries on Monday morning.
Mr Bush revealed he had spoken to former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse after he chased away home invaders from his East Melbourne apartment in September.
"People will do what they do at the spur of the moment," he said.
"My only advice to them is understand your own capability and look after yourself and your family."
Mr Bush didn't rule out recommending mandatory sentencing reforms to the Victorian government, following changes to bail laws and a ban on the possession and sale of machetes.
"There's got to be consequence," he said.
"It's important for deterrence to know what that looks like, and there should be consistency.
"If you're going to commit a serious crime, commit serious harm against other people, you need to know what's going to happen to you."
Mr Bush, who served as New Zealand police commissioner from 2014 to 2020, took over the role in June after a period of leadership turmoil and unrest within Victoria Police.
The chief said Victoria Police's 22,000-strong workforce was "more than 1000 understrength".
"We don't have enough police on the frontline to prevent and respond to calls for service because the way we've organised ourselves has kept a lot of them either in the backroom or back at the station, completing jobs that someone else should do on their behalf."
Some 700 officers are on WorkCover and the force was partly to blame as it had "overburdened them with bureaucracy".
Mr Bush said the state police force had not faced a significant restructure in more than 10 years.
The Kiwi identified a lack of confidence and trust in Victoria Police as another key problem plaguing the force and declared it needed a "reset".
Under proposed changes, sworn officers will be released from police station reception counter duties and replaced with alternate staff under a trial to launch in the next three to six months.
Former police officers will also be among dedicated teams of admin staff set up in stations to free members up from paperwork after making an arrest.
Both initiatives will be expanded statewide if successful.
Mr Bush said some frontline staff were spending four to six hours completing a family violence report once back at the station.
"It can almost their entire shift," he said.
The force's executive team will also be slimmed-down from six deputy commissioners to four.
The changes could take 12 months to implement but would free up 1.4 million hours a year in personnel hours, Mr Bush said.
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