Esther Lauaki
By Esther Lauaki
Heavier police patrols will be visible around Brimbank and Melton in preparation for a possible surge in crime as restrictions ease across the state.
Operation United will target a range of high-harm offences including robberies, aggravated burglaries, armed robberies, carjackings and assaults and kicked off in the north-west suburbs last week.
The statewide operation brings together police from a range of units across the north west metro region (division three) and Crime Command as part of a joint effort to deter and disrupt an anticipated increase in a number of criminal offences as COVID-19
Police will conduct regular patrols of known crime hot spots.
Victoria Police warns those looking to leave their homes and bring harm to the community – “We are ready”.
Superintendent David Jones, divisional commander in charge of the Melton and Brimbank areas, said police had in recent months seen an increase in a number of specific offences when restrictions were lifted or reduced.
He said a key focus of Operation United would be offences such as opportunistic street and armed robberies, many of which are linked to street gangs and other organised criminal groups.
Detectives from the Gang Crime Squad will work closely with regional investigators to proactively target known offenders and other persons of interest through a range of enforcement activities.
This will involve local police, the Public Order Response Team, highway patrol, transit police and Dog Squad.
“We can’t be complacent and wait for crimes to be committed – this is about being proactive and taking decisive action to disrupt this type of offending,” Superintendent Jones said.
“It’s also about being smarter and looking at what our intelligence has shown us during the COVID-19 period in terms of patterns in criminal offending, then working as hard as we can to constantly be that step ahead of offenders.
“The days of detectives just making arrests and moving on have gone, we’re far more sophisticated in our approach to both crime trends and the management of known persons of interest.
“Local police know who their local offenders are, and we make no apologies for targeting them through operations such as this.
“We’re also able to draw on specialised resources from across Victoria Police, such as the Gang Crime Squad, who can really provide that statewide overview and intelligence.
“This is about driving down crime and in what has already been a tough year for many people, we want to make sure everyone in our local community stays safe.”
Anyone with information about offences or gang activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
