Victoria Police will have a bolstered presence along Melbourne’s foreshores and beaches, with the city set to swelter over the coming months.
Operation Sum-mersafe will run day and night over summer in popular locations including St Kilda, Half Moon Bay, Altona, Williams-town, and across the Mornington Peninsula.
Local police from the north to the south will be assisted by Water Police, the Public Order Response Team, Highway Patrol, Transit Safety Division, the Mounted Branch and the Dog Squad, with a dedicated presence along foreshores, and in nearby parks, entertainment precincts and public transport hubs.
Proactive patrols in vehicles, on foot, horseback, and the water, will see police respond to incidents in a timely manner.
This includes jet ski riders who speed or endanger the lives of swimmers by riding close to shore in restricted areas.
Riders will be drug and alcohol tested, and in some instances, jet skis can be seized.
Mobile policing units deployed across busy areas will serve as a central hub for residents and visitors to engage with police, where officers can also monitor anti-social behaviour.
Police will also utilise an extensive CCTV network to monitor crime in real-time, allowing them to respond to incidents quickly, and de-escalate crimes as or before they occur.
Outside of Melbourne, there will be dedicated local operations at busy summer destinations including the Mornington Peninsula, and Surf and Bass Coasts.
With the safety of the community always at the forefront, Victoria Police’s approach will be centred around maintaining public order, detecting and disrupting crime, and keeping all road users safe.
Under the Control of Weapons Act 1990, designated areas have been declared for weapons searches – called OMNI operations – where police will target those carrying concealed weapons who are endangering the lives of others.
Operation Summersafe will run until March..
Acting Port Phillip Local Area Commander, Superintendent Nigel McGuire White, said: “Starting from today, we will see the mercury soar and it goes without saying that on a hot day – especially on weekends – more people head to the beach.
“We are deploying dedicated teams in areas where they’ll be needed most; the beach, surrounding parks and transport hubs.
“The Mounted Branch, Dog Squad and Public Order Response Team are just some of the members residents and visitors can expect to see out and about all summer from the north to the south.
“We will also have members out on the water and patrolling the shoreline to ensure that jet ski riders aren’t putting swimmers in danger.”