Senior Sergeant Ian Shepherd was among 35 police officers conducting random weapons searches at Dandenong railway station on Friday afternoon. 70010 Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Nicole Williams
POLICE got more than they bargained for on Friday with a large-scale weapons search at Dandenong railway station to conclude the three-week Operation Safe Travel across the metropolitan network.
Senior Sergeant Ian Shepherd said the most surprising find of the day was a missing child.
“We’ve found some weapons, some drug offences and even a missing child,” he said. But he said the number of offences was not high.
“The rate of offenders is not high compared to the rate of people coming through the station,” Sen Sgt Ian Shepherd said.
Thirty-five transit police set up and manned walk-through metal detectors and used hand-held wands to conduct random weapons searches during the afternoon school rush.
Transit Safety Division Acting Inspector Craig Shiell said the operation focused on making public transport safe for commuters.
“This operation has run throughout the past three weeks and has involved nine separate operations targeting all areas of the public transport system,” he said.
“Victoria Police is highly focused on ensuring we have a public transport system where people are safe and feel safe at all times of day and night. We will continue to run this style of operation and others to make public transport even safer.”
Operation Safe Travel focused on drugs, alcohol, anti-social behaviour, theft and other crime across the train, tram and bus network. Under the Control of Weapons Act, Victoria Police declared the station a designated area for the weapons search.
