Violence against police is on the rise with several officers admitted to hospital this week, Victoria's top cop says.
People weren't "showing any respect for the law", Victoria's Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said on the same day an officer shot and killed an alleged car thief who drove at a sergeant on Friday morning.
Two police officers were taken to hospital after the fatal shooting in Tullamarine, and a police car was side-swiped not long after in a separate incident at Narre Warren.
On Thursday afternoon an officer fired his gun several times at a stolen vehicle that rammed a police car in Berwick.
"We've had members driven at ... and we had a young policewoman slashed in the face with a screwdriver the night before last (on Wednesday)," Mr Ashton told 3AW on Friday.
"We've had absolutely reckless behaviour by members of the community not showing any respect for law and order ... and authority."
Attacks on police officers were becoming more common.
"A willingness to drive at police and that sort of reckless behaviour has been increasing over the past few years," he said.
Some critics say Victoria Police's restrictive pursuit policy has "given crooks the green light to do whatever the hell they want," one officer has told 3AW.
