One of its most contentious elements is a two-year pilot of dedicated, on-duty police officers who will be stationed at 10 metropolitan and regional schools in areas that have “specific youth needs or at-risk challenges”. This is a significant departure from the original police in schools program, which was axed in 2005. “We need to tackle this violent scourge of youth crime, to keep Victorians safe," Mr Guy said. "This program is about developing respect for our police early on." The Coalition said it would work with police to choose the 10 at-risk schools and the chief commissioner would decide whether the officers carried guns.

When asked if these schools would become stigmatised, Mr Guy said "I hope not." Under the plan, 100 new police officers will be funded to work as school resource officers. Ten of these officers will each be assigned to a single high school, while the remaining 90 will rotate across a number of primary schools. Victoria is the only state that does not have a police in schools program. But Police Minister Lisa Neville said police already visited schools and worked with young people in other programs.

She said the government had funded an additional 42 youth resource workers at the request of Victoria Police. ‘‘As far as I’m aware Victoria Police have not in any way wanted to see an embedded police in schools program,’’ she said. ‘‘They want to see specialist youth police workers dealing with the toughest of our kids and stopping recidivist youth offending.’’ Ms Neville accused the Coalition of doing ‘‘nothing’’ when they were in government and funding no new police. ‘‘Those young people who are responsible for the most serious offences in Victoria – they’re not in school. So our specialist youth resource workers that we funded at the request of Victoria Police is absolutely targeting those youth offenders who are causing harm in our community.’’

The Police Accountability project, which runs out of Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre, said the proposal was flawed, outdated and would create a "schools-to-prison pipeline". "When police are in school classrooms, common behavioral issues are more likely to prompt criminal responses," the centre's chief executive Anthony Kelly said. "Young people who are vulnerable, at risk or from a marginalised background ... are more likely to be treated as criminals rather than get the support they need." "A white kid in Kew might have his parents called, or might be talked to by the teacher, a young African kid in western suburbs will more likely have the police respond." The announcement follows the police union urging the government to reintroduce early-intervention police programs.

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt welcomed the plan and said a preventative approach to crime made communities safer. "What our members are telling us is that there is a growing disrespect for the work they do in community," he said. But Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Meredith Peace said the plan would create divisions. "It is about law and order rather than building genuine relationships between students and the community more broadly, including police," she said. "Schools need to be safe places for students where they know they will be supported and have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential."