Tara Murray
More than 50 people were arrested as part of a crackdown on youth gangs across Melbourne’s west, including Melton, last week.
As part of Operation Alliance, police from Brimbank, Wyndham and Melbourne joined forces across four nights to disrupt gang activity, arrest violent offenders, and engage with those on the fringes of youth gangs at the earliest opportunity to minimise their chances of joining a gang and offending.
Police arrested 54 people for a range of offences including robbery, evading police, burglary, car theft, unlicensed driving and possessing prohibited weapons. There were also 45 breaches of bail identified.
As part of the operation, an Omni Operation was conducted around the Sunshine Railway Station after police declared the area a designated area for weapons searches. As part of this, 15 people were arrested, including two for weapons and six for possessing a drug of dependence. There were 12 positive breath tests.
Among other incidents as part of Operation Alliance, police became aware of a planned fight in the Brimbank area between youths on Friday, May 6. Officers saturated the planned fight location and surrounding roads, public transport hubs, and parks in the area, with no reports of a fight happening.
A Wyndham driver was spotted driving erratically in a silver Holden Commodore along Point Cook Road on May 8.
The car allegedly drove through a red light and was driving without headlights on.
The vehicle was involved in a collision in Carrick Street, Point Cook, where the occupants fled, police said.
A 17-year-old female was arrested at the scene and inquiries are ongoing into other occupants of the vehicle.
On May 9, police intercepted a vehicle at a car park in Brookfield.
One of the occupants fled on foot while three males were arrested inside the vehicle, including the driver.
A search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered a taser, two large hunting knives and a small amount of what is believed to be cannabis.
A 19-year-old from Kurunjang was charged with possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing a controlled weapon, and possessing a drug of dependence.
Acting Superintendent Shane Brundell said police were currently seeing less serious and violent offending by young people across Brimbank and Melton, courtesy in part to the proactive approach.
“Operation Alliance is an ongoing operation that sees teams of officers, detectives and specialist units patrolling our streets, monitoring intelligence and proactively engaging with offenders and persons with one goal in mind – to disrupt and dismantle youth gangs before they can cause significant harm to the community,” he said.
