Ballarat’s Protective Services Officers will gain new powers to make arrests, conduct searches for drugs and respond to incidents around train stations they are patrolling.
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Under new legislation to be introduced to parliament this week, PSOs will be able to arrest someone who has breached their parole and request names and addresses of people who witness crimes.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said there would also be new mobile teams that can move across the transport network.
"This is about getting to those hotspots, whether they're on a tram or bus network or at our train stations," she said.
The PSOs will undergo the same training as police for the expanded powers such as drug searches. They currently receive training every six months.
However, they will not conduct investigations or lay charges.
Ballarat railway station was among the first regional stations to receive Protective Services Officers in 2014.