Prahran police continue to drive down crime along one of Melbourne's busiest retail and nightlife strips, with hundreds of arrests made on Chapel Street last year.
Police efforts will intensify further to reduce crime and improve amenity on Chapel Street this month, with specialist police set to descend upon the area as part of Operation Embrace.
This will include an around the clock presence from the Public Order Response Team, while drug detectives, detection dogs, police on horseback, and uniform police will also be a regular feature along Chapel Street as part of the three-week operation.
Highway Patrol cars and police on bikes will also be deployed to target motorists doing the wrong thing, with motorists on mobile phones and cars in bike lanes recurring issues.
This operation is in the same vein as Operation Harmony in the CBD, with Victoria Police prioritising using state-based resources to target local issues, while also reallocating police from administrative tasks, such as reception counters, to the frontline.
It's important to note police are not being taken from other communities across the state to assist with the operation, with all uniform members sourced from the local area.
A key focus of the operation will be preventing thieves targeting supermarkets, liquor stores and clothing shops. Drugs and anti-social behaviour around the precinct's nightspots will be another priority.
This follows significant enforcement in 2025 which led to a 7.5% drop in overall crime and a 12% decrease in violent crimes against the person on Chapel Street.
This led to:
- 270 shoplifters arrested for 550 separate thefts, which led to a 12% drop in retail theft on Chapel Street. However, repeat offenders remain problematic, with a third of all shop thefts committed by the same ten people.
- 100 arrests in relation to drugs and weapon offences. A third of all drug seizures were for methylamphetamine, with cocaine and 1,4-Butanediol also commonly uncovered by police. As part of these arrests, a 43-year-old man was charged after allegedly trafficking cocaine, 1,4-Butanediol and MDMA to Chapel Street via rideshare drivers. A myriad of weapons were also seized, including knives, imitation firearms, tasers, and machetes.
- 88 people arrested around local nightspots as part of Operation Safenight, which runs every Friday and Saturday night. 7,744 policing hours were dedicated to keeping revellers safe along the strip last year.
- 1,760 fines issued for poor driver behaviour in Prahran, with Chapel Street a key hotspot for offending.
- Dozens of referrals made to support services for those sleeping rough or those with substance abuse problems in the local area.
Items being stolen from cars remains a major issue on Chapel Street. At the start of the year, local police formed a dedicated Vehicle Crime Team operating across Stonnington and Port Phillip. Almost 180 thieves have already been arrested this year, as local police look to build upon a 20% decrease in theft from motor vehicle offences along Chapel Street last year.
Victoria Police also continues to regularly engage with local councils and retailers around crime and amenity in the area.
As part of this, police will be joining councillors, retailers and residents on a "walkshop" this month, enabling all to gain an understanding of the current environment, which will help inform potential responses by council.
Quotes attributable to Southern Metro Region Acting Assistant Commissioner Damian Jackson:
"Local police have done a power of work to help reduce crime and prioritise the issues that residents and traders are most concerned about.
"Common concerns relate to retail theft, drug issues, and poor behaviour around Chapel Street's nightlife.
"Last year, our officers arrested more than 450 people in relation to these issues alone.
"While the tide is turning and crime is reducing on Chapel Street, now is not the time to sit back and think this is good enough.
"Over the next three weeks, those visiting the area can expect to see a show of force on Chapel Street.
"Victoria Police is currently deploying police in large numbers to areas where we want to send a very clear message to criminals.
"Chapel Street is the latest example of this approach, which is centred around listening to community concerns and decisively deploying available officers to where they are needed."
