In June 2016, the Parliamentary Inquiry into Elder Abuse, (Recommendation 10) proposed:
That the NSW Police Force establish a Vulnerable Community Support Officer in each Regional Command in New South Wales, with the position entailing training and support to front line officers, police response, liaison with local service providers and other government agencies, community education, awareness and engagement.
In 2018, the NSW Government announced an enhancement of 1500 police officers to protect communities and fight crime. Of those, an Aged Crime Prevention Officer would be established in each Police Command, to be rolled out over 4 years.
The establishment of these specialist Aged Crime Prevention Officer (ACPO) positions acknowledges the need for early intervention for individuals who are at risk and provides the opportunity to improve police understanding of elder abuse, customise police responses to the special needs of elderly victims and assist to reduce general community and cultural risk factors.
The integration of these ACPO positions policing communities has seen the establishment of 12 ACPOs located at the following PACs/PDs:
Central West PD
Coffs/Clarence PD
Eastern Suburbs PAC
Lake Macquarie PD
Liverpool PAC
Mid North Coast PD
Monaro PD
Newcastle City PD
North Shore PAC
Orana Mid Western PD
Port Stephens Hunter PD
South Coast PD