Since early December, Operation Pulse has involved an increased presence of police and protective service officers in shopping centres across Victoria. It has reportedly led to more than 1,000 arrests and 2,000 charges laid across four major shopping centres in Melbourne.
Around half of the charges laid are for retail theft, while authorities have also made over 350 drug and weapon seizures. Shopping Centre Council of Australia CEO Angus Nardi said these results demonstrate that the initiative was highly successful in protecting retailers.
“The shopping centres covered by Operation Pulse have hundreds of thousands of customer visits every single day, and the operation has given small businesses, customers and workers massive assurance and confidence,” Nardi said.
“Feedback from the community has also been overwhelmingly positive, with more than 80 per cent of customers and retailers consistently reporting that they feel safer with a visible police presence.”
Nardi added that, among members, there was a 73 per cent reduction in retail theft and a 50 per cent reduction in aggressive and violent incidents across participating centres.
Operation Pulse began in December 2025 and has been extended to the end of 2026.
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