After more than four decades serving with Victoria Police, former police commander Paul O’Halloran has stepped into a very different arena, announcing his candidacy for the Liberal Party in the key marginal seat of Mordialloc ahead of Victoria’s November state election.

For O’Halloran, the move represents more than a career change. He says it is a response to what he believes has been a steady decline in community safety and confidence in Victoria’s justice system after spending more than 40 years witnessing crime from the frontline.

Speaking on Melbourne radio station 3AW, O’Halloran said his motivation was deeply personal.

“I want my children and grandchildren to live in a safe environment with an economy that is thriving,” he said.

His campaign centres on a message that Victoria’s justice system has become “broken” and requires significant reform to restore public confidence.

O’Halloran argues that over many years the balance has shifted away from victims and towards offenders, creating frustration among frontline police officers and many members of the community.

According to him, officers are increasingly expected to perform difficult policing duties while operating under legal and operational settings that make it harder to prevent repeat offending and protect victims.

Those views place him firmly within one of the Victorian election’s major political battlegrounds, where law and order has become one of the defining issues facing both the Allan Labor Government and the Liberal opposition.

His selection as the Liberal candidate for Mordialloc is particularly significant because the electorate has traditionally been regarded as an important marginal seat capable of influencing the overall election outcome.

Located in Melbourne’s south-east, Mordialloc includes established suburban communities as well as growing residential areas. Residents frequently identify concerns including public safety, housing affordability, transport congestion and the rising cost of living.

O’Halloran says those issues are closely connected.

“A safe community and a strong economy go hand in hand,” he argues, saying families should not have to choose between financial security and personal safety.

The former commander believes the justice system has gradually lost public confidence because too many offenders avoid meaningful consequences while victims are left feeling unsupported.

His criticism reflects wider political debate occurring across Victoria over youth crime, bail laws, repeat offending and police resources.

Crime statistics and high-profile incidents have fuelled ongoing discussion about whether existing legislation adequately balances rehabilitation with community protection. Different political parties continue to propose contrasting approaches to bail reform, sentencing, policing resources and crime prevention.

Throughout his policing career, O’Halloran worked across a wide range of operational roles, including homicide investigations, organised crime, major investigations and senior command positions. His experience has earned him respect within policing circles, with colleagues recognising his lengthy operational background.

That experience is central to the credibility of his political message.

Rather than approaching community safety from an academic or purely political perspective, O’Halloran argues that his opinions have been formed through decades of direct interaction with victims, offenders and police officers across Victoria.

He says he has watched patterns of offending change over time while also observing growing pressure on frontline policing.

His campaign also extends beyond law and order.

Like many Liberal candidates contesting suburban electorates, O’Halloran is linking public safety with broader economic concerns, arguing that Victorian families are being squeezed by higher living costs, increased taxes and financial uncertainty.

He says many residents are increasingly worried about paying household bills while also expecting governments to deliver reliable public services, including policing, transport and local infrastructure.

Those concerns are likely to feature prominently throughout the election campaign as both major parties compete over cost-of-living relief and economic management.

Mordialloc itself has experienced several widely reported public order incidents during the past year, including disturbances involving groups of young people along the popular foreshore precinct during summer.

Although such incidents represent only a small proportion of overall criminal activity, they attracted widespread media attention and prompted debate over police powers, youth crime and community safety.

O’Halloran has previously indicated those events reinforced his decision to seek elected office, saying they demonstrated how quickly community confidence could be shaken when residents no longer feel secure in familiar public places.

The broader political context is equally important.

The Victorian Liberals have made crime one of their principal election issues, arguing that stronger bail laws, additional police recruitment and tougher sentencing are necessary to restore public confidence.

Labor, meanwhile, maintains it has introduced significant reforms to improve community safety while investing in policing, prevention programs and justice system improvements. The government has also argued that long-term reductions in crime require investment in early intervention alongside enforcement.

The debate illustrates the complexity of criminal justice policy.

Experts generally note that policing alone cannot eliminate crime. Effective community safety often depends upon a combination of policing, courts, rehabilitation, youth services, education, mental health support and broader economic conditions.

Successive Victorian governments from both major parties have introduced reforms attempting to balance these competing priorities.

Nevertheless, public perceptions often become heavily influenced by highly publicised violent incidents, particularly when repeat offenders or youth crime are involved.

For many voters, confidence in the justice system is shaped not only by official crime statistics but also by whether they personally feel safe walking through shopping precincts, using public transport or allowing children to travel independently.

Those perceptions can become powerful political issues regardless of broader statistical trends.

O’Halloran’s campaign therefore seeks to position him as someone who understands those concerns from firsthand experience rather than political theory.

He argues that practical policing experience gives him insight into how legislation affects officers on the street, victims navigating the justice system and communities seeking reassurance.

Whether that message resonates strongly enough to change voting patterns remains uncertain.

Mordialloc has historically been a closely contested electorate, and demographic changes continue to make its electoral outcome difficult to predict.

Both major parties are expected to devote significant resources to campaigning in the seat as polling day approaches.

Across Victoria, issues including healthcare, education, transport infrastructure, government debt, housing affordability, taxation and cost-of-living pressures are also expected to compete for voters’ attention alongside crime.

Candidates like O’Halloran will therefore need to persuade voters that community safety cannot be separated from broader economic management and government priorities.

For the former police commander, however, entering politics represents the next stage of public service rather than a departure from it.

After spending more than 40 years enforcing the law, he now hopes to influence how those laws are written.

His campaign reflects a belief that stronger public confidence in Victoria’s justice system will require both legislative change and political leadership.

Whether voters ultimately agree will become clear when Victorians head to the polls later this year, with community safety once again expected to rank among the election’s defining issues.