Warning to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers: This story contains references to a deceased person.

Public satisfaction with Victoria Police has reached a five-year low and the number of people who believe the force does not treat people equally is the highest in 10 years, the Productivity Commission has revealed in its 2021-22 report of government services.

About 640 – or 7.9 per cent – of the 8104 people surveyed in the report, released on Tuesday, expressed total dissatisfaction with services provided by Victoria Police.

This is nearly 2 per more than the previous year and the highest level of discontent recorded since 2017.

Those who had personally interacted with police felt even more negatively towards the force: nearly 13.9 per cent of 3949 Victorians who had contact with police over the past year experienced dissatisfaction – the highest level in nine years.

More than 7 per cent of respondents thought the police lacked professionalism – up from 6 per cent the year before and 4.9 per cent in 2018-19 – and 8.9 per cent believed police were dishonest.

The proportion of people who believe police do not treat people fairly and equally has risen 3.3 per cent since 2018, reaching 14.9 per cent last year – the highest it has been in 10 years.

A law and order spending spree over the past decade has made the Victoria Police the largest and most-funded law enforcement agency in the country, with the state now arresting and jailing people at levels not seen since the 19th century.

The release of the commission’s report comes shortly after a coroner handed down his findings following an inquest into the death of Indigenous woman Veronica Nelson in custody.

Legal experts say the government and its former prison subcontractor are facing a potential record payout to the Nelson family, and Premier Daniel Andrews has committed to reforming the state’s strict bail laws over the next few months.

The Australian Institute of Criminology reported there were 106 deaths in prison and police custody in 2021-22, including 24 Indigenous people – up from 15 Indigenous people the year before – and one person whose Indigenous status was unknown.

Although Indigenous people were less likely than non-Indigenous people to die as a proportion of prisoners, the institute said they were more likely to die as a proportion of the general population.

According to the Productivity Commission, after an increase in the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people being imprisoned between 2018 and 2020, it has since been on a slight downward trend.

But the rate of non-Indigenous people imprisoned in 2021-22 was still more than 15 times below the rate of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

Nerita Waight, chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, said the report’s findings were unsurprising, and she noted an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission report that found a substantial number of police complaints made by Aboriginal people were handled in a biased way.

“There have been many reports that have highlighted systemic racism in Victoria Police and a lack of accountability for their behaviour,” Waight said.

She said that despite various promises, inquiries and commitments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to be incarcerated at alarmingly high rates.

Complaints against Victoria Police also reached a 10-year peak last year, reaching 25 complaints per 100,000 people, or one for every 10 sworn officers.

A state government spokesperson said the majority of Victorians are satisfied with police services and feel safe in their communities.

“Our record investment of $4.5 billion is delivering 3637 new sworn police officers, state-of the-art intelligence systems and new and upgraded police stations,” they said.

Opposition spokesman for police and crime prevention Brad Battin said policing is only effective when community and front-line officers maintain a positive relationship.

“Unfortunately, this dramatic fall in community trust will only make a difficult job even harder and lead to worse community safety outcomes,” Battin said.

“After a difficult period for both the community and many members of Victoria Police, now is the time to rebuild that critical relationship and restore trust and confidence in Victoria Police.”

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