Criminals use smartphone app to track police movements in country Victoria

Criminals are using a smartphone app to track police movements in country Victoria.

Police in rural areas still use analog radios which the public can access via a downloaded smartphone app, enabling them to hear confidential conversations including the addresses of victims.

Opposition police spokesman Wade Noonan said the app was a serious issue, particularly during the current period of heightened risk because it allowed anyone to track police movements.

"Police had indicated to me that there are examples where they have gone to an address to issue a warrant, only to arrive at the front door and have that person disappear outside the back door because they've been listening in to police radio," he told reporters on Monday.

"To think that criminals can listen in to police conversation on 15-second delay is absolutely unacceptable."

Mr Noonan said the government had known about the problem for years and let it go.

But Police Minister Kim Wells said the government had a strategy to fix the system properly and had been working closely with Victoria Police and treasury on expanding the digital network, used by officers in Melbourne and Geelong.

"We want to make sure that it's properly costed, we want to make sure it's properly funded and make sure we've got the right equipment," he told reporters.

"There have been cases reported to VicPol where the analog system has been tracked by people in the general public, that is a real concern to the chief commissioner, a real concern to me."

Labor has pledged $10 million to switch the police radios from analog to digital in country areas, should it win the November 29 election.

Mr Wells said it would cost much more than that, based on costings by police for the government.

"It would cost $13 million alone just for the cost of the radios and then you need the network to be able to connect to those radios, so you're looking at more than $50 million for this project," Mr Wells said.