Operation Harmony nets 55 arrests as Victoria Police maintain expanded CBD patrols
Victoria Police say a surge in patrols under an expanded Operation Harmony is paying off, with 55 arrests recorded in Melbourne’s CBD and hundreds of fines issued since March 22. The heightened presence—almost doubling the number of officers on city streets each day—will continue for the foreseeable future, according to police.
The operation is targeting anti-social behaviour, retail crime, unsafe e-scooter and e-bike use, thefts from cars and engagement with people experiencing homelessness.
Police said the latest results include 55 arrests for robberies, assaults, thefts and anti-social behaviour; nearly 370 fines, mostly for unsafe e-scooter and e-bike use; almost 13,800 engagements with traders, visitors and residents; and more than 130 pieces of information gathered to assist ongoing investigations.
Officers highlighted recent examples, including a woman who allegedly threatened a convenience store employee with a knife on Spencer Street on April 15 before stealing confectionery and fleeing. She was arrested a short time later at Spencer and Collins streets.
In a separate incident on April 13, two teenagers were allegedly robbed outside a shopping centre at La Trobe and Elizabeth streets; Operation Harmony officers quickly arrested two youths at Town Hall Station. North West Metro Region Acting Commander Belinda Jones said the increased police presence was making a difference on the ground.
"The bolstered police presence is helping to improve safety across the city," she said. The policing push coincides with the City of Melbourne proposing to expand its Community Safety Officer (CSO) program in its draft budget, doubling CSO numbers from 11 to 22.
The proposal would sit alongside more CCTV cameras and a larger outreach presence on city streets, reflecting a layered approach to safety and amenity in the central city. Melbourne East Inspector Dale Huntington recently backed the broader model on the Future Melbourne podcast, saying CSOs had “found their lane” by managing local laws and lower-level issues, and feeding intelligence to police when matters escalate or patterns emerge.
Police say the city is being saturated with sworn officers and specialist units, including the Public Order Response Team, Transit Safety Division, Highway Patrol, Proactive Policing Unit and Mounted Branch. Together with the council’s proposed expansion of on-street CSOs, authorities are seeking to lift not only public safety but public confidence in the CBD.