Bia to target repeats

CASEY police will take part in a new crime-reduction strategy to crack down on repeat offenders, which will see more troops in the area.
Operation Bia will see police target repeat offenders in areas where they’re most active.
Police will be highly visible in public transport hubs, entertainment precincts and central activity districts.
Police in Casey will receive extra support from specialist areas, including the Operations Support Unit, Transit Safety Division, Protective Service Officers and Road Policing Operations and Investigations Division.
Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said it was a concern crime statistics showed an increase in some categories across the state.
“It is disturbing that across Victoria we have witnessed an increase in robberies of more than five per cent over the 12 months to March this year,” Mr Lay said.
“In other areas such as family violence and drug offences, alarm bells are starting to ring.”
He said Victoria Police had taken immediate action to try and turn this spike in robberies around.
“We are conscious there are many overlapping factors at play here,” Mr Lay said.
“They include economic, social and environmental issues which mean that building a sustainable solution to these problems will require a much broader societal effort.”
Police have launched a major blitz operation, aimed at cracking down on repeat offenders and restoring public confidence in communities who suffer from high-volume crimes.
“We will continue to review the effect Operation Bia has in reducing these crimes and the prevalence of recidivist offenders as part of our commitment to creating a safer community for all Victorians,” Mr Lay said.
Police will be on the lookout for criminals committing burglaries, theft from motor vehicles, assaults and other anti-social behaviours.
Non-compliance with bail conditions and court-ordered curfews will also be a focus of the operation. Operation Bia will be trialled for two months.