Victoria Police (VKC) Callsigns

 

"VKC" is the callsign for Victoria Police network control. "VKC" is part of a national callsign allocation for emergency services, in line with national UHF frequency allocations.

 

The callsigns for police in each state are as follows:

Federal PoliceVKX;  South Australia VKA;  New South Wales VKG;  Western Australia VKI;   Victoria VKC;  Tasmania VKT;  Queensland VKR;     Northern TerritoryVKM;

           

The subaudible tone of 107.2 Hz is also used nationally on each UHF network.

 Federal Police in each state identify as "VL#AFP" on Federal Police networks, e.g. Victoria uses "VL3AFP" or just "AFP". VKX is used in Canberra for general duties policing.  

 

All radio operators in the Metropolitan Communications Centre (MCC) identify as "VKC", and include a suffix of "Melbourne" where

confusion may otherwise result. Mobile communications units use callsigns such as VKC2, VKC4, VKC6 etc., and regional communications stations also identify with VKC <district>.

 

There are eight dedicated regional communications centres:

Comms Centre                 Callsign                                                Control Districts               

Ballarat                       VKC Ballarat                   Region 2, Divisions 3 & 4

Bendigo                 VKC Bendigo                 Region 3, Divisions 3 & 4

Hamilton                VKC Hamilton                                Region 2, Division 5

Portland                 VKC Portland                 Region 2, Division 5         

Morwell                 VKC Morwell                 Region 5, Divisions 3 & 4                                

Mildura                  VKC Mildura                  Region 3, Division 5

Wangaratta                VKC Wangaratta                           Region 4, Divisions 4 & 5                

Warrnambool                VKC Warrnambool                Region 2, Division 5

Table 1.7

 VKC8 is a 'mini-D24' located in the Police Academy which can be night switched if the MCC and Tally Ho become unusable.

Operational Units

Callsigns are comprised of two components [example]       

Callsigns - First Component

            All callsigns begin with (1) a station name [Mill Park] or (2) a department name [Traffic].

            

1. - Station Names. Police station names are used as callsign identifiers by operational units.

2. - Departments & Specialist Groups. There are nine major departments, listed here. Both callsign prefixes and department codes used on-air.            

DEPARTMENT                                                                       CALLSIGN                                          DEPARTMENT CODE        

Communications & Information Technology                                                                                             CITD

Corporate Policy, Planning & Review                                                                                                  CPPR

Research & Development                                                           RESEARCH                                             CPPR                                     

Corporate Resources                                                                                                                              CR

Chief Commissioner’s Office                                                      ADMINISTRATION

Media Liaison                                                                          MEDIA

Crime (CIB Headquarters, Admin. & Squads)                   CRIME                                                    CRI

Bureau of Criminal Intelligence                                              INTEL

Ethical Standards (Internal Investigations’ Department)            INVESTIGATIONS                                  ESD

Operations Department                                                              OPERATIONS                                         OPS

Air Wing                                                                                  AIR                                                          AIR

Community Policing Squad                                                      OPERATIONS                                        

Dog Squad                                                                              CANINE                                                   CAN

Government House Shrine Guard                                           GOVERNMENT

Water Police                                                                            MARINE                                                  MAR

Mounted Branch                                                                      MOUNTED                                               MOU

Search & Rescue Squad                                                      RESCUE                                                  RES

Transit Police                                                                           TRANSIT                                 TST

Protective Security Group & SOG                                          SECURITY

Personnel Department                                                              PERSONNEL                                           PNL

Traffic & Operations Support (TOPS)                                    TRAFFIC                                                TRF

Services Department                                                              SERVICES

Audio Visual Division                                                    AUDIO / VIDEO

Radio Electronics Division                                                    COMMUNICATIONS

Transport Division                                                                   TRANSPORT                                          TRP

Forensic Science Laboratory (Macleod)                                                 FORENSIC                                               FSL

Fingerprint Section                                                                  PRINTS

Training District                                                                       TRAINING                                               TRG

Callsigns - Second Component

The Second Component of each callsign is a numeric identifier belonging to one of the following categories:

TYPE OF UNIT                                                                      SUFFIX

Officers                                                                 100 - 199

Chief Superintendent                                        100 - 104

Superintendent                                                        105 - 109

Chief Inspector                                                        110 - 119

Detective Chief Inspector                                 120 - 129

Inspector                                                                 130 - 149

Duty Officers                                                          150 - 159

Detective Inspector                                                 160 - 169

Station Cars                                                        200 - 299

Supervising Sgt, No 1 Division                                 251

Supervising Sgt, No 2 Division                                 252

Senior Sgt (Night Shift Supervisor)                     265

Burg cars - see below                                      270

[District Information Support Centre                        270]

Computer Co-Ordinator                                 271

Traffic Co-Ordinator                                                 274

Range Controller (firearms?)                                              275 - 277

DISPLAN                                                                  280 - 284

Neighbourhood Watch                                      286 - 289

District Administration                                         290 - 294

TAC                                                                         295

District Welfare                                                       296

DFO (District Firearms Officer)                    297 - 299

Divisional Vans                                                       300 - 399

CPS & DSG                                                          400 - 499

District Support Groups                                    400 - 449

Community Policing Squads                                    450 - 499

CPS Night Shift - C, D, E, F & G districts                 EAST 451

CPS Night Shift - A, B, H, I & J districts                   WEST 451

Criminal Investigations Unit                        500 - 599  

     Day Shift –divisional units                                         CRIME 508,

     Afternoon shift-district response units                        <station> 520

     Night Shift - A & B districts                                                CRIME 540

     Night Shift - I & J districts                                   CRIME 541

     Night Shift - C, D & E districts                             CRIME 542

     Night Shift - F, G & H districts                             CRIME 543

Supervision A & B Districts                                   CENTRAL 550

Supervision I & J Districts                                   WEST 550

Supervision C, D, E, F, G & H Districts                     EAST 550

Burg cars - see below                                      590

Traffic Management Unit                                        600 - 699

TMU Supervising Senior Sergeant                      600

Senior Sergeants                                                    601 - 603

Sergeants                                                               604 - 609

Marked Cars                                                            610 - 629

Unmarked Cars ("Q" cars)                                                630 - 634

Camera Cars                                                           635 - 639

Complaints Cars                                                      640 - 644

Breathalyser Cars                                                   645 - 649

TMU Supervising Sergeant                                 650

Supervisors                                                            651 - 659

Motor Cycles ("Solos")                                  660 - 669

Accident Cars (attend major accidents)                               670 – 684

Special Events                                                        685 - 689

Regional Traffic Task Cars                                                690 - 699

District Special Duties                                      700 - 799

Foot patrolsDistrict Special Events (foot)      800 - 839

Foot patrols - normal                                     850 - 889

Bicycle patrols                                                        890 - 899

Stations / Divisions                                              900 - 999

Uniform                                                                    900

DSG                                                                         904

CIB                                                                           905

TOG                                                                         906

Special Events or Operations                                              907

District Headquarters                                          910

District Caravan                                                      915

City Patrol Group points ("PATROL xxx")       900 - 999

                                                 Notes concerning Divisional Vans & Patrol Cars

 For 200 & 300 units, the last two figures indicate the starting time of the units' shift, e.g. Nunawading 303 = Nunawading van on 3 pm - 11 pm shift.

 A "5" as the middle digit of the numeric identifier indicates a sergeant; subsequently, a "1" or "2" as the last digit indicates the relative division, e.g. For example: "Glen Waverley 251" = Glen Waverley sergeant supervising Number 1 division units. A 6 as the middle digit of the numeric identifier

indicates a senior sergeant, e.g. Nunawading 265 = Nunawading Night Shift supervisor.

Notes concerning Departmental callsigns:

Units attached to the Community Policing Squad may use a divisional callsign with a 400 series, eg. BLACKBURN 463, or a departmental callsign, eg. OPERATIONS 222 (shift system not applicable).Operations Department units employ the 400 callsign series. Canine units are the only exception to this rule - see below.

                                     

Air Wing

The Air Wing uses a 400 callsign series:

                                                                                40* Ground vehicles

                                                                                41* Fixed wing aircraft - Cessnas

                                                                                47* Rotary wing aircraft - Squirrels

                                                                                49* Rotary wing aircraft - Dauphins

eg. AIR 402, (filling truck,) AIR 492, (helicopter,) AIR 417 (fixed wing Cessna) etc..

     

Notes:            The air ambulance helicopter identifies on any service as AIR 495. These helicopters are authorized to operate at as low as 300ft over Metropolitan Melbourne.  Rotary wing aircraft from other services identify as "<service> 499".

           

Emerg Callsign:  Registration  Air Traffic Ctrl Call                Aircraft                                                  Role

AIR 491                   VH-PVF                Polair 31                 1979 SA 365C1 Dauphin 2                Retired May 2002-Former primary police helicopter

AIR 492                   VH-PVK                Polair 32                 1978 SA 365C1 Dauphin 2                Retired May 2002-Available until 2003 as back-up chopper

AIR 493                   VH-PVA                Polair 33                 1978 SA 365C1 Dauphin 2                Backup Air Ambulance

AIR 474                   VH-PVM                Polair 34                 1988 AS 350B Squirrel                Training/Utitlity/Fires

AIR 495   HEMS 1                VH-PVG                Polair 35                 2001 AS 365N3 Dauphin 2                Primary Air Ambulance/2nd Police

AIR 490                   VH-PVH                Polair 30                 2001 AS 365N3 Dauphin 2                Primary Police Helicopter(Primary)

AIR 410                   VH-PVU                                                       

AIR 41*                    VH-PVY

HEMS 2                VH-VAB                                  1978 Bell 412                          Rural Ambulance Service, La Trobe Valley Airport (Sth East Region)

HEMS 3                 VH-VAA                                  1978 Bell 412                          Rural Ambulance Service, Bendigo Airport

              

Dog Squad

The Dog Squad use the 200 series, but does not follow the divisional shift system. Units are instead allocated individual callsigns.

           

            Canine 2** - Regular Dog Squad Units.

            Canine 7** - Drug Dogs & Explosives Dogs.

                      

eg. CANINE 278, CANINE 256, etc.; these are all dog squad units, and note also that the dog squad operates on the SMR network.

Note that CANINE units may be heard on any operational VHF or UHF channel, in addition to SMR trunking channels (not static police allocations) for direct working. Dog Squad units also have access to the Education Security radio network.(IF it still exists?)

           

Services Department

Radio Electronics Services (RES) in Dawson Street use COMMUNICATIONS as a prefix followed by a 6xx number, e.g. "Communications 610". The old RED test callsign is COMMUNICATIONS 677 but this has not been heard since the cutover from D24 in Russell Street. Other callsigns with

this identifier may be allocated to RED members on an individual basis.

                       

The field kitchen (mobile canteen) is SERVICES 200, known informally as CUP 'A' TEA 200. The Quick Response Vehicle (Communications) may also be known as the 'QRV'. The callsign of this vehicle is VKC6. It is housed at the World Trade Centre garage.

            

Protective Services / Security Groups/SOG

The Special Operations Group use SECURITY identifiers when operating 'clear', ie. non-DVP. When Protective Security & District Support Groups are not allocated major incident colour codes, they may also use SECURITY identifiers.

           

                        Security 100 - 199                Inspectors - Special Operations Group

                        Security 200 - 299                District Support Group

                        Security 300 - 399                Special Operations Group

                        Security 312                          Hostage Negotiator               

                        Security 400 - 499                District Support Group & Protective Services Group

                        Security 500 - 699                Special Operations Group

                        Security 700 - 999                Protective Services Group

     

City Patrol Group

The City Patrol Group is the foot patrol division which works in the Central Business District. The net control station on channel 26 is PATROL 900, being the Bourke St. City Traffic office. This is one of  few police channels controlled by a unit other than VKC.

 

Melbourne Traffic Units identify with PATROL followed by a relevant numeric identifier, such as '303'. Foot patrols use the 800 numeric series.

           

Traffic direction units identify with point numbers. Each intersection in the CBD has its own number. For example, a unit at Batman Ave. & St. Kilda Rd., 8 point, would identify as PATROL 908,a unit at 12 point (Flinders St. Station) would identify as PATROL 912, and so on.(See CPG Points Map)

                      

Traffic Management Unit

Divisional TMU  units identify with their divisional name and a 600 numeric identifier, as per the table above.

 

TMU Office                Callsign ID-(TMU Offices are each allocated a local government area (ie Epping TMU patrols the Shire Of Whittlesea, Banyule City, Nillumbik Shire, Darebin)

Melbourne                City Of Melbourne or Yarra

Brunswick                City Of Moonee Valley, City Of Moreland

Craigeburn                Hume Shire Council

Dandenong                Cardinia Shire, Casey Shire, Dandnenong City Council

Epping                     Shire Of Whittlesea, City Of Banyule, Shire Of Nillumbik, City Of Darebin

Frankston                                City Of Frankston

Geelong                   City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire

Hastings                  Mornington Peninsula

Moorabbin                Bayside City Council, City Of Glen Eira, City of Kingston

Nunawading                City Of Boorondara, City Of Manningham, City Of Monash, Whitehorse City Council.

Prahan                     City Of Port Phillip, City Of Stonnington

Werribee                 City of Hobsons Bay, City Of Maribyrnong,  City Of Wyndam.

           

Departmental TMU  callsigns satisfy one of the following criteria:

         

             Command

                        Chief Superintendent - Administration                TRAFFIC 100

                        Chief Superintendent - Operations                              TRAFFIC 101

                        Superintendent - Administration                         TRAFFIC 105

                        Superintendent - Operations (East)                    TRAFFIC 107

                        Superintendent - Operations (West)                  TRAFFIC 108

                        Duty Officer                                                     TRAFFIC 150

                       

              General Traffic Policy and Information Centre

                        Chief Inspector                                                        TRAFFIC 112

                        Units                                                                                TRAFFIC 200 - 249

                        Speed Camera Units                                        TRAFFIC 250 - 259  N.B. Camera units use a District 630 callsigne.g. Heidelberg 639 (Most camera ops privatized)