These shopping centres will have a heavier police presence from today. Here’s why

3 months ago 3

Police and protective services officers will begin patrols on Monday at several major Melbourne shopping centres in a crackdown on rising crime and antisocial behaviour during the festive season.

The 90-day operation, first reported by this masthead last month, will deploy police and PSOs to Northland in Preston, Highpoint in Maribyrnong, Eastland Ringwood and Fountain Gate in Narre Warren. The scheme has the option to shift officers to other retail hubs deemed to be crime hotspots.

PSOs and police will begin a 90-day operation to prevent crime in shopping centres.

Police will target antisocial behaviour and weapons offences at the four shopping centres, which are now designated areas for weapons searches. Officers will also be equipped with wands to detect knives and other dangerous items.

Police said officers would join the patrol shifts voluntarily on “planned rest days” to ensure there was no impact on resources. Police who volunteer for the trial will be paid overtime wages for the shifts.

Although extra protective services officers would now be deployed across the shopping centres, PSOs would continue to patrol every metropolitan train line until the last train every night, police said.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said retailers and shoppers should feel safe, but that “has not always been the case this year”.

The extra officers will patrol Northland, Highpoint, Eastland and Fountain Gate, but police haven’t ruled out adding more centres.

“It’s no secret that Victoria is confronting record levels of retail theft, while other problematic incidents include increased aggression towards retailers and public knife fights between feuding gangs,” he said.

“We are heading into peak time for our shopping centres, with school holidays and the festive period almost upon us.”

Data from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria shows there were 799 reported offences at Preston’s Northland shopping complex from July 2024 to June 2025; 477 at Maribyrnong’s Highpoint; 501 at Narre Warren’s Fountain Gate; and 600 at Eastland Ringwood. In comparison, other major centres have much lower figures. Chadstone recorded just 77 for the same period.

Northland was the scene of violence in May after rival youth gang members armed with machetes fought in a wild brawl. In June, a man drove a stolen car through the shopping centre.

Police said a recent rise in fights involving weapons in shopping precincts meant they had increased regular patrols, but officers in the 90-day operation would be in addition to police already in the area.

“They are extra, voluntary shifts to keep you safe,” police said.