Whittlesea police will be patrolling major shopping centres over the school holidays in a bid to boost community safety.
Inspector Andrew Falconer said there would be an increased police presence at Pacific Epping, Westfield Plenty Valley and Uni Hill Factory Outlets over the next two weeks, with officers targeting shop lifters and theft from motor vehicles.
He said police would be equipped with iPads, enabling them to carry out checks on the go.
“Police and [Protective Services Officers] can now do people, licence, location and vehicle checks on their mobile devices,” Inspector Falconer said.
“This means faster and easier access to information, and more police time in the community. It will also improve safety for our police, PSOs and the community.”
Inspector Falconer said police would also be taking part in a community engagement day at Westfield Plenty Valley on October 5 to encourage people to chat with police.
