Almost half of Victorians have no confidence or satisfaction with the state's police force, as it battles the domestic fallout of the Israel-Hamas war.
Victoria Police's 2023/24 annual report, one of more than 170 documents tabled in state parliament on Thursday, showed community satisfaction hit a new low.
Of those surveyed, 55.5 per cent said they were satisfied with policing services, down from 73.1 per cent 12 months earlier, and 24.5 per cent short of the force's target.
It was the first year in which the survey was conducted online as well as over the phone.
"This has contributed to changes in the results compared to previous years," the report said.
The same explanation was given for the proportion of the public who have confidence in police sliding from 75 per cent to 61.9 per cent - more than 20 per cent below its benchmark.
In addition, only 46.7 per cent of respondents reported feeling safe walking locally at night.
Victoria Police said it strives to reduce violence and crime through law enforcement, judicial support, community assistance, guidance and leadership.
"In our commitment to deliver a safer Victoria, we prioritise community safety as the foundation of everything we do," Chief Commissioner Shane Patton wrote.
Since Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel, 435 protests and demonstrations have required police attendance totalling almost 12,000 shifts.
Officers have watched over weekly rallies in central Melbourne, university encampments and smaller protests at businesses targeted over their perceived support for parties in the conflict.
Police forces across the country are facing officer shortages, with the national union suggesting in September vacancies have blown out beyond 7000.
Victoria's workforce grew marginally from 21,326 full-time employees to 21,715, including 16,059 officers.
The force launched an official TikTok channel in October 2023, partly to recruit within the key demographic of those under 25.
"Our content on this platform received more than 11.5 million impressions in the nine months to the end of the financial year," the report said.
The force remains locked in a pay dispute with the union after an in-principle deal for shifting to a nine-day fortnight and 16 per cent pay rise over four years was rejected in July.
