Print PageSenior Victorian police have acknowledged a new focus on the state's racing industry is long overdue.
Police are planning a new crackdown on corruption within the industry, including working more closely with the sport's governing bodies.
It comes after several recent high-profile scandals, including race-fixing allegations involving top jockeys Danny Nikolic and Damien Oliver and the police investigation into the murder of racing identity Les Samba.
Assistant Commissioner of Crime, Stephen Fontana, says it is high time racing in Victoria is more closely scrutinised.
"From time to time police, in their investigations, do come across things that might not involve criminal activity, but when you look at what's happening within the industry itself you'd say look, there's a lot of inappropriate conduct," he said.
"We should be able to assist those regulatory agencies with their job to help keep the industry clean."
However, Assistant Commissioner Fontana says sometimes they cannot share information gained through telephone intercepts and listening devices because of rules around the use of such information.
"We can assist other law enforcement agencies but some of these regulatory agencies don't fall under that banner," he said.
"We've been talking to the racing integrity commissioner [Sal Perna] about some of the issues we have identified and I'm sure he would support moves to improve information sharing between Victoria Police and his office."
