A top cop has broken rank to slam youth bail laws in Victoria, calling the system 'really destructive' in a podcast. 

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush didn't hold back when speaking on the youth crime podcast Lead Good this week, saying young offenders were released on bail too quickly and too easily.

One of the podcast's co-hosts, a former offender turned youth mentor known as Judo, brought up the topic by telling Commissioner Bush he felt underage offenders were let free hours after breaking the law on far too many occasions. 

'Honestly, it's pathetic, honestly, it's just not it,' he said. 

'These kids, you guys are giving them bail, giving them the opportunity and another chance to go out in the community and do the exact same thing. 

'It's putting the community at risk, and these kids need some time to really sit back and understand what they're doing is wrong.' 

The 24-year-old, who served four years in prison and now mentors youths out on bail through the Lived Experience Mentor Program, added that being in custody was one of the best times to correct their behaviour.

'You just got to hold them a bit longer, get us involved and we'll talk to them,' Judo said.

'We'll mentor them, give them the right advice and hopefully it clicks.

'When kids are in custody, they're clean, they are not on drugs, they aren't with their friends, they're by themselves and it's a chance to get to them.'

Commissioner Bush agreed with Judo, saying he worded the matter perfectly. 

'That's the piece that we talk about — that you've got to understand there are consequences for your behaviour, but it also gives them time to reflect and the opportunity for an intervention,' he said.  

'If a young person commits a serious crime, three hours later they're back out on the street with their peer group and their mates, ready to go and do it again, what has been achieved?

'That's really destructive and we've missed the opportunity to announce consequence, to provide the opportunity for reflection and intervention, all missed opportunities.'

The cop also used Judo as an example of how young people are able to put their criminal past behind them with the right help.  

'The intervention that came to you was that someone actually invested in you,' he said of Judo, who had previously gone from missing school due to boredom to committing a home invasion and theft. 

'They said you're important, gave you some time, gave you some effort and made you feel valued.

'Part of the key is investing in human beings.'

He went on to say that young people often feel isolated and irrelevant, so they do things that cause damage.

'If you invest in people, tell them they're important and do stuff for them, that will be rewarded,' he said. 

'That's what I see occurring here.' 

According to the Crime Statistics Agency, youth crime increased by 2.3 per cent in Victoria in 2025, with robberies and carjackings among the most common offences.

The commissioner said getting those culprits to understand the consequences was crucial to the solution. 

'If young people understood the consequence of what they do, how do we get them to think about that more deeply before they do something,' he said.

'[They need to] understand there's not just a consequence for the victims but there's a consequence for themselves. 

'They've got to know that there is a tough side to what they do, and that tough side could be, and perhaps should be, losing their liberty.'

However, he said that couldn't be the only answer. 

'Prevention, early intervention, working with young people and working with communities is the best answer and that comes first.'