26 stolen cars have been recovered and over 130 false number plates seized as part of a regular car theft operation in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs.
Uniform police have been running Operation Boston in Merri-bek since August last year, utilising Automatic Number Plate Recognition Technology to rapidly scan vehicles and identify if they are stolen.
Nearly 120,000 vehicles have been scanned since the operation's inception.
The technology instantly provides police with registration details which means they can easily detect suspended, unlicenced and unregistered drivers.
In addition to patrolling main roads such as Sydney Road, Lygon and Bell streets, officers have also set their sights on quieter residential streets where stolen cars are often parked overnight.
Due to the operation running during the Protected Industrial Action in place at this time, a large portion of the statistical data is unavailable. At least nine people have been arrested since the beginning of the operation.
Key arrests include:
• A white BMW SUV was observed on North Widford Street in Broadmeadows driving erratically at about 3.15am on 15 January. Subsequent ANPR scanning found the car to be allegedly bearing a false number plate. With Air Wing assistance, the vehicle was tracked to North Melbourne where the driver and a passenger allegedly fled on foot. The two alleged offenders were arrested by police nearby. The vehicle was allegedly found to have been stolen from the Glen Waverley earlier in the month.
• A 24-year-old Hadfield driver who allegedly failed to stop during an attempted intercept on Pentridge Boulevard in Coburg about 3am on 13 September. Police will allege he sped off in a blue Ford Mustang before reaching speeds of 180km/h. With Air Wing assistance, police tracked the vehicle to Hadfield and observed the driver, along with two passengers, allegedly enter another car and take off. They allegedly drove to a nearby street, where they boarded a third car, however police quickly attended and arrested them without incident.
• A 28-year-old South Melbourne woman and 24-year-old Bayswater North man who allegedly fled from a stolen Mercedes sedan on Gillies Street in Fairfield about 3.45am on 12 August. Police will allege the driver of the stolen vehicle failed to stop for police during an earlier intercept attempt near High Street.
• A 41-year-old Dallas man and 48-year-old Maribyrnong woman who were travelling in an allegedly stolen vehicle that failed to stop for police on Widford Street in Broadmeadows about 1.40am on 20 August. The vehicle was tracked by the Air Wing to Essendon where officers on the ground successfully deployed stop sticks. The pair allegedly fled on foot into Woodlands Park but were arrested shortly after.
While targeting these offenders, police are also calling on the community to play their part and ensure their vehicles are locked at all times.
Throughout the operation, intelligence showed more than a third of cars targeted in Merri-bek had no signs of forced entry.
Operation Boston has been running since August 2024 and will continue to run regularly in the Merri-bek area.
Quotes attributable to Merri-bek Local Area Commander Inspector Andrew Markarkis:
"Using ANPR technology means we can scan vehicles at a rapid rate.
"We can identify a stolen car or unlicensed driver in a matter of seconds.
"It's already assisted in recovering 26 stolen cars, and nearly 130 false number plates. We've made several arrests and we have more closely in our sights.
"Unfortunately, we continue to see people fall victim to opportunistic thefts because their cars are left unlocked, or they have valuables in plain sight.
"That's why we're urging the community to always ensure vehicles are locked, even if parked in a secure driveway, and valuables are removed."
