21 GEORGE STREET, MORWELL 3840
TELEPHONE 0351354444
WEDNESDAY, 9 OCTOBER, 2024
21
19
PARTLY CLOUDY
SUNNY
www.latrobevalleyexpress.ccom.au
17
CLOUDY
Bronzed Aussie
Traralgo on’s s Jade Melbourne was back home last week, and brought with her some special carry-on luggage from the Paris Olympics. STORY - PAGE 39
Photograph: Tom Hayes
Morwell under the microscope
By TOM HAYES
POLICE were in their numbers at Morwell’s Mid Valley Shopping Centre last Friday (October 4) afternoon, as Operation OMNI was underway. Police searched 98 people, seizing four knives and one small bag of methylamphetamine. There was also one occurrence of Hinder Police, as five offenders (two youths, three adults) were interviewed and are to be charged via summons. “Operation OMNI is an operation approved by the assistant commissioner of the eastern region regarding the Control of Weapons Act designated area for searching,” Latrobe Crime Investigation Unit Detective Sergeant, Mick Van Der Heyden explained. “We have identified that Mid Valley and the surrounding car parks and bordering roads have had, what we believe, significant violent offences in the last 12 months.” Lasting for just six hours between 2pm and 8pm, police were conducting random searches on the public, looking for weapons and other illegal instruments. Mid Valley was recognised as a hot spot for crime, after numerous records of dangerous activity taking place, including an assault on an elderly man by a group of five youths earlier this year.
Needing sufficient data from intelligence checks, reports and records to justify the application to the assistant commissioner, once confirmed, Operation OMNI was given the green light to proceed. “It’s a two-pronged attack. It’s a general deterrent for people to bring knives and weapons to community locations like Mid Valley, but it’s also a public relations exercise where we can get some buy-in from the community to at least show them that we’re taking it seriously,” Det Serg Van Der Heyden said. “We are lacking resources at times, but we are dedicating ourselves to investigating knife crime and deterring some of our youth offenders that have been causing some issues… and reassuring the public that we’re here.” Positioned outside Dominos, police had a van stationed in the car park, resembling a home base of sorts, while multiple police cars were located throughout the car park, presenting a strong police presence. Both uniformed and non-uniformed police patrolled the area, conducting searches on the public throughout the afternoon, also answering many questions that the public had to ask during the operation. “Part of the legislation for the Control of Weapons Act - we have the power to conduct a search on any person within the designated area. It is at random, it isn’t
targeted to any specific person, race or demographic,” Det Serg Van Der Heyden said. The legislation allows police to stop, detain and search people using a metal detector. If the metal detector returned a positive reading, people were asked to produce the item, or the search could be escalated to a pat-down. “I’d say 90 per cent of the public from what I’ve seen in the first few hours has been positive. But then there has been that 10 per cent that have been resistant to speak to us, however once we explain our search powers… everyone has co-operated,” Det Serg Van Der Heyden said during the operation. He explained his aspirations to run the operation again in the Latrobe Valley, but added there was complications. “I’d hope that we can do it again. It’s a bit of a catch-22, because to enable us to do it we need to meet certain criteria about these locations being identified as having violent crime occurring,” Det Serg Van Der Heyden said. “Whilst ideally we don’t want that occurring, if we can identify a location where it is occurring, then that would be something we’ll be putting forward at local level.”
Now at 68 Seymour Street, Traralgon
Pace & Associates Lawyers can take care of all your legal needs.
Wills & Powers of Attorney
Family Law
Employment Law
Crime, Traffic Offences & Intervention Orders
Police Beat/Crime - Pages 4-5
$2.00 $2 00 inc. i GST
19
PARTLY CLOUDY
Cast your vote as earliest as possible this election BALLOT packs have been sent for the upcoming Latrobe City Council elections. Enrolled voters can expect to find ballot packs in their mailboxes this week. Victorian Electoral Commission Electoral Commissioner, Sven Bluemmel is encouraging people to vote as early as possible. “With the election being conducted by post, voters must complete and return their ballot material as soon as possible to make sure their vote counts,” Mr Bluemmel said. Voters should complete and return their ballot material as soon as they receive it. Completed ballot material must be in the mail or delivered to the election office by 6pm Friday, October 25, 2024 or they won’t be counted. Voters who haven’t received a ballot pack by Tuesday, October 15 should go to vec.vic.gov.au to complete an online replacement ballot pack form. Voting is compulsory for all voters who were enrolled for this election at 4pm on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Voters who don’t vote may be fined. Latrobe City has nine wards this election, with 20 candidates running for office. One ward has already been declared, as the candidate, current Latrobe City Councillor Sharon Gibson, is running unopposed. Across the state, 16 local council election candidates have been retired after being deemed ineligible to nominate. Candidates become ineligible if it is found they do not declare they have completed the mandatory local government candidate training. The Express has featured all running candidates in today's issue. Meet the candidates Pages 26-27