Victoria Police seized one weapon during a highly visible operation at Highpoint shopping centre last week.
The operation on Thursday, October 3, was conducted as part of Operation Omni, which allows police to unearth weapon offences within a defined search area as set out in s.10D of the Control of Weapons Act.
Omni operations regularly take place at shopping centres and train stations throughout Melbourne, including many locations across the western suburbs.
For the October 3 operation, Footscray police, including members from the Neighbourhood Policing Team, saturated Highpoint shopping centre and nearby transport terminals to detect and deter weapons offences.
Officers conducted more than 240 wand searches during the operation, but detected only one pocketknife.
A 17-year-old boy was issued with an infringement notice for possessing a controlled weapon.
Maribyrnong Local Area Commander Inspector Paul Morgan said it was a positive outcome.
“It was pleasing to have detected only one weapon in more than 200 searches,” Inspector Morgan said.
“It highlights that a very small section of the community chooses to carry weapons. Deterrence is key, so we will continue to run these highly visible operations at shopping centres and transport hubs,” he said.
Weapon offences and assaults have been an ongoing problem at Highpoint in recent times.
In April, two stabbings involving young men occurred within the space of a week.
“We’ll also continue to work closely with Highpoint which provides excellent support to these initiatives,” Inspector Morgan said.
