Reforms no win for terrorists: Vic Police

Victoria Police has rejected claims by former senior officers that extremism is being allowed to compromise operations and that new rules send a message of fear to "barbarians".

The rules requiring police to work in pairs and wear full operational uniforms on duty aren't a win for terrorists, but a way of keeping officers safe, acting Chief Commissioner Tim Cartwright says.

A number of former senior police, including former chief commissioner Kelvin Glare, criticised the force in an open letter on Tuesday, accusing police management of moving back to the dark ages and adopting a fortress mentality.

"We are of the view that this is a win for terrorists and sends a message that VicPol fears these barbarians," the letter says.

They criticise the ban on single officer patrols, and recommendations that officers do not wear their uniforms to and from work.

"This is completely the antithesis of what community leaders, from the prime minister and premier down, are urging the community to do, be alert not alarmed," the letter said.

But Mr Cartwright says while recent threats against police prompted new safety regulations, they had been in planning for two years.

He was concerned about comments made to him on Tuesday that policing is risky and it had to be accepted that bad things happen.

"Not on my watch. I won't ever accept that," he said.

"It's not giving in to terrorism. It's keeping my people safe while we keep the community safe."

He rebutted concerns about withdrawal of support from youth programs such as Blue Light and the Police in Schools program.

Strategies that worked 20 years ago no longer worked now, and engagement methods had to change thanks to the rise of social media and the internet, he said.

"To suggest that we've moved away from community engagement and youth engagement ... couldn't be more wrong," he said.