Melbourne police will be able to stop and search people for prohibited weapons. Photo: 123RF
There has been a mixed response to the decision by Victoria Police to designate a large section of Melbourne's CBD subject to greater police search powers for the next six months.
The declaration this week means police will be able to stop and search people for prohibited weapons in the CBD, Docklands and Southbank.
In addition to conducting pat-down or wand searches of people, police will be able to search vehicles and force people to remove face coverings.
The declaration comes into effect on Sunday and will be in force until 29 May 2026.
The move comes amid rising community concern about knife crime in Melbourne after several high-profile incidents in recent months, including the random stabbing of a woman in the CBD.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said the CBD was the first area to be covered by a declaration for this length of time.
"These operations are an invaluable tool in assisting police with removing weapons from the streets, as knife crime in Victoria has risen," the spokesperson said.
Melbourne City Council backs move
Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said the council supported the move.
"This is very much welcomed by us. We have seen a 20 percent increase in crime in the central city over the last 12 months. That is a fact," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"We can't keep doing things the same and expect things to change. We need to try new things, we need a circuit-breaker and the extension of the designated powers to the CBD, Docklands and Southbank is very welcome from our perspective.
"I support there being checks and balances around all these things, I do think we need to be mindful of that."
Victorian Libertarian Party MP David Limbrick said the move was overreach by Victoria Police and called it "a gross invasion of people's rights and privacy".
"I think that what's going to happen here is that the government always use whatever powers they have available to take away people's rights," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"They've declared a huge area in the CBD where you can get searched without any reasonable cause. They can give you a pat down search, they can give you a wand search, they can order you to leave the area just because they order you to.
"This is not what should happen in a free society and in Australia we have so many intrusions on our freedom and we have to guard it as much as we can."
The designated area covers a large part of Melbourne's CBD. Photo: Supplied / Victoria Police
Federal independent MP Lidia Thorpe said she was concerned certain ethnic groups would be targeted by police.
"If you have black or brown skin then you are going to be targeted by the police more than any white person," she said.
"I think it's outrageous. These are unprecedented police powers and I think Jacinta Allan is throwing us all under the bus.
"I see a lot of harm being done from these ridiculous powers. Police have enough powers."
Victoria Police officially banned racial profiling in 2015.
"Victoria Police has zero tolerance towards racial profiling," a police spokesperson said.
"Our officers are well trained to police in response to a person's behaviour, not their background."
- ABC News
