By Casey Neill
Nabbing more than 400 criminals in 15 months earned Sergeant Hafiz Mayar and his team a Divisional Commendation.
The Greater Dandenong Response and Tasking Unit received the honour at the Victoria Police Southern Metro Region Division Three award ceremony at Dandenong Civic Centre on Tuesday 4 October.
“A lot of youths were congregating in the library square, there were a few fights happening between different groups,” Sgt Mayar said.
“Our unit was created to restore some public order in the area.
“I was given three members.
“We liaised with Greater Dandenong Council, Dandenong Plaza security and management and other stakeholders.
“We identified the hot spots. By patrolling the hot spots we picked up offenders.”
They picked up more than 400 between 9 March last year and 12 June this year on drugs, weapons, drunkenness and warrant offences, averaging more than two each day.
“On one occasion we arrested a guy with $50,000 worth of ice in his underpants,” Sgt Mayar said.
“On another occasion our unit arrested another guy carrying $200,000 of marijuana – 11 kilograms.”
They also helped Thomas Street traders, in particular, to beef up security and stop a spate of break-ins.
“We also targeted by patrolling the area. We arrested two of the burglars that were responsible,” he said.
Sgt Mayar had three members at any given time, but 18 officers rotated through the unit.
“The unit has now been absorbed. It’s become part of the Frontline Tactical Unit,” he said.
The group commendation recipients included Sergeant Leigh Mackey, Acting Sergeant James Frost, Senior Constables Gae Pasmans, Russell Bratton, Nathaniel Gilmore, Sead Sumic, Shane Arnheim, Jo MacDonald, Brent Whyte, Matthew Don and Glenn Dalzotto, and Constables Jonathon Baird, Scott Winder, Eva Semertzidis, Chris Hodgens, Laura Sensi, Stewart Reid and James Schutz.
