- Published:
- Thursday 16 April 2026 at 4:00 am
Victoria Police has made over 1,000 arrests and laid more than 2,000 charges during a major operation across Melbourne’s biggest shopping centres over the past four months.
Operation Pulse has seen teams of police and Protective Service Officers (PSOs) patrolling four major metropolitan shopping centres each day since early December.
Almost half of the charges laid to date are for retail theft, while police and PSOs have also made over 350 drug and weapon seizures.
The overt presence of officers has led to a significant reduction in violent crimes against other people, with only 3% of charges laid in relation to offences such as assault and affray.
Operation Pulse has proven instrumental in preventing this offending, with members saturating food courts and bus stops on multiple occasions to foil planned fights between youth gangs and other children.
Noteworthy Operation Pulse arrests include:
- A male offender stole $2000 worth of knives from a homewares store and was arrested in close vicinity to the shopping centre. The man had multiple outstanding whereabouts and warrants.
- Two youths were apprehended after stealing 14 pairs of sunglasses worth $4,500. One of the offenders had a hunting knife in his pants.
- Multiple vehicles with stolen or cloned registration plates were identified in shopping centre car parks, leading to searches of the drivers and vehicles. Items recovered included methylamphetamine, 1’4 Butanediol, large quantities of cash, and counterfeit currency.
- Three males were arrested in the carpark after Operation Pulse members witnessed a shop theft. A search of their car uncovered stolen makeup, vitamins, baby formula, and electronics. Methylamphetamine and heroin were also found.
- A 41-year-old man was apprehended with a loaded firearm down in his pants at a shopping centre. The man came to police attention after acting suspiciously and was subsequently charged with firearm related offences.
- The arrest of a 19-year old male who was wanted for a carjacking at Laverton Railway Station and subsequent high-speed collision in Seabrook on 3 March where the stolen car was found split in half with no driver present. He was apprehended after being identified by PSOs at a shopping centre just over a week later.
Operation Pulse first commenced on 8 December 2025 and has been extended to the end of 2026.
Police and PSOs will continue to patrol four major shopping centres each day, with sites of focus including Pacific Werribee, Bayside Frankston, Highpoint, Fountain Gate, Northland, Watergardens, Southland, and Eastland.
All shifts are voluntary, meaning there is no impact on the rail network as PSOs are working at shopping centres in addition to existing shifts.
Key Operation Pulse statistics – 8 December 2025 until 14 April 2026
- 1,001 arrests
- 2,149 charges laid, with shop steal (993) and drug offences (186) most common
- 193 drug seizures
- 164 weapons seized
- 416 cautions issued
- 329 fines issued
- 13,203 vehicles checked
Quotes attributable to Superintendent Matt Baynes
“Over 1,000 arrests in four months sends a very clear message – there is no place for criminal behaviour at shopping centres.
“Police and PSOs have been identifying and arresting shop thieves in enormous numbers as part of Operation Pulse, ensuring hard working retailers are better protected.
“While it’s more difficult to quantify, the presence of police and PSOs is also undoubtedly preventing significant offending – whether it be breaking up planned fights or putting doubt into the minds of opportunistic thieves.
“As a result, retailers and shoppers are approaching us regularly to say they feel safer since the operation commenced.
“Teams of police and PSOs will continue to be flexibly deployed to major shopping centres throughout the remainder of this year.
“We’ll continue to strategically move our resources based on the latest crime data, calls for assistance and intelligence – ensuring our members are where they need to be to prevent crime.”
Media Unit
143165
Updated