ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on the results of a survey conducted at the police academy with new police and protective service recruits as well as some exit interviews with senior Victoria Police (VicPol) personnel to make sense of the successes and challenges of training in arriving at a mutual understanding of prejudice motivated crime (PMC). Within the skills proposed by Bishop, the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing identifies the ability to recognise and classify the offender/perpetrator in a way that supports the overall investigation and prosecution as vital aspects of police PMC training. These skills are particularly important as PMC becomes increasingly complex with the influence of international hate groups, the Internet and social media. As part of its implementation of the PMC Strategy, VicPol undertook to train all new recruits in PMC at the police academy as of 2011. This training included police recruits (PRs), as well as protective service officers (PSOs), who primarily patrol train stations.
