Highpoint Shopping Centre will have an extra police presence over the summer months as part of efforts to reduce crime and improve safety at retail precincts.
Operation Pulse began on Monday 8 December at Highpoint, Northland, Eastland and Fountain Gate shopping centres with extra patrols from police and PSOs to ensure shoppers and workers feel safe.
Retail theft, anti-social behaviour and weapons offences are a focus of the operation, which will continue until 8 March 2026 and could be expanded to include other shopping centres.
Along with high levels of retail theft, Operation Pulse is also a response to the recent spate of dangerous incidents at shopping centres, including fights with weapons.
All four shopping centres have been designated areas for weapons searches for the entire 90-day operation, allowing patrolling police and PSOs to conduct searches with wands to help remove more knives from the community.
Wands are preferred for weapons searches as they are considered safer than performing pat-down searches on people who may be armed and are also less invasive.
Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Bob Hill said both visitors and retail workers at major shopping centres deserved to feel safe.
“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.
“It’s important that people feel comfortable shopping during this period.“
