Australian police to no longer work alone due to threat of militant

Victorian police officers will be required to work with a partner at all times, and wear bulletproof vests, under new rules issued to guard against potential terror attacks against Australian police officers.

The move was outlined in an email to police force members on Friday, which also decreed that marked police cars should not be parked near an officer's private residence.

The email said that bulletproof vests must be worn by officers at all times while in uniform, including while on reception duty.

The changes came on the back of revelations that a foiled terror plot against Australia included plans to behead an officer and steal their gun before going on a shooting spree in Melbourne during Anzac Day commemorations last month.

The Victoria Police email said that ensuring the safety of its members, as well as the public, was a priority for the police force.

"The current environment has seen an increase in threats against police," the email said.

"As a result, Victoria Police is taking steps to enhance the safety and welfare of its employees."

Police Association secretary Ron Iddles told 3AW radio that the move would instill a greater sense of safety in police officers on duty, but the move was well overdue.

"There's been a high level of threat for the last two or three months," he said on Friday.

"I don't think it's a case of will (an attack) happen, it's a case of when it will happen.

"I think the most significant change is that members will not work alone...the Police Association has advocated for the abolition of one person patrols for several years."

He said there would be some drawbacks from the plan, including rostering changes and a slower response time.

"What we're saying for the single officer police stations, if they receive a call, they've got to assess it and many of those calls they shouldn't go alone and they should wait for back-up," Iddles told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"It's going to impact the community but the cost of that is members' safety."

Under the rule, the state's 99 single police officer stations will be exempt from the rule, as most of these stations are located in small, rural towns.