Police say locals can expect more operations targeting people carrying weapons in Geelong, after a successful weapons blitz at Corio Village on Monday.
Local officers searched dozens of people at the shopping centre earlier this week, charging one man after he was allegedly found to be carrying a knife.
Operation OMNI is expected to move back into the Geelong CBD over the coming days, after an operation in July which saw more than 40 people checked for weapons in the city.
Geelong Local Area Commander Acting Inspector Nicholas Uebergang said these operations important for community safety. “It gives us greater powers, these operations, to be able to search anyone, anywhere in the designated area at any time searching for knives or other weapons,” Acting Inspector Uebergang said.
“It’s not necessarily to say we’re having an issue with knives in the area, but it’s something that gives us the power to search for to ensure that those aren’t taken to these areas where they could have a significant impact,” he said.
Acting Inspector Uebergang said the crackdown’s will continue in various areas across the Geelong region.
“It’s about providing the community with reassurance in that we’re doing all we can to detect offenders and seize weapons before they cause future harms.
“Our number one priority is keeping the community safe, and this weeks operation is just one part of that.”
