Victoria Police Announce Widespread Summer Safety Operations

Victoria Police announced on Friday, 23 October, that officers will conduct multiple coordinated operations across Victorian beaches, waterways, and retail and entertainment precincts to target antisocial and unsafe behaviour during the upcoming summer.

The proactive enforcement measures will see local uniform officers supported by specialised units, including the Water Police, Public Order Response Team, Highway Patrol, Transit Safety Division, Mounted Branch, and Dog Squad. Mobile policing units and existing CCTV networks will be used across busy areas to monitor activities and respond to incidents.

Several ongoing and seasonal operations are scheduled as part of the initiative:

• Operation Summersafe: Commencing 1 November, targeting popular coastal locations such as St Kilda, Half Moon Bay, Altona, Williamstown, the Surf Coast, the Bass Coast, and the Mornington Peninsula.
• Waterway and Jet Ski Operations: Water Police will conduct drug and alcohol testing and enforce speed and restricted area rules from Lorne to Geelong, St Kilda, and Portsea, with vessel seizure powers available.
• Operation Pulse: Deployed across shopping centres and retail hubs to manage crowds seeking shelter from the heat. Victoria Police stated the operation has led to more than 2,100 arrests since December of the previous year.
• Operation Safenight and Operation Embrace: Focusing on day and night patrols along Chapel Street on weekends.
• Operation Harmony: Continuing in the Melbourne CBD to target retail and vehicle crime and monitor e-bike and e-scooter usage.
• 90-Day Activation: Directing resources toward high-convergence areas across the state.

Victoria Police also noted that Mordialloc foreshore will receive dedicated proactive patrols following recent and previous instances of disorderly behaviour involving youths attacking one another.

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