Police have arrested a man after a pursuit of an allegedly stolen car through Melbourne’s southeast suburbs, after evading a second set of stop sticks on the Princes Highway in Berwick.
A Public Order Response Team unit observed a black Jeep Grand Cherokee allegedly travelling in excess of 100km/h in a 40km/h zone on the Monash Freeway, Glen Iris around 11:30pm on Monday 7 October.
Officers successfully deployed stop sticks on Hallam South Road, near Hallam Railway Station around 11:50om.
Afterwards was when the man waded through Berwick, and then a pursuit was initiated before the Jeep ran over a third set of stop sticks on the Princes Highway in Pakenham and came to a stop.
The suspect, a 28-year-old Eltham man was arrested at the scene about 12:30am on 8 October – no one was injured during the incident.
It is believed the Jeep was stolen from Fawkner on 5 October, roughly 15km from Melbourne CBD and some 80km from its final destination.
The response unit was working an Operation Trinity shift, which runs from dusk until dawn across Melbourne.
In addition to standard patrols, there are another 70 police officers, including members of the Dog Squad, Public Order Response, and the Air Wing, who are specifically tasked with preventing and responding to burglaries and car thefts during the night.
Over the past year, authorities have arrested 673 burglars and car thieves almost 1550 times over the last year.
Latest police statistics indicate that up to 80 per cent of all aggravated burglaries in key hotspots occur through unlocked doors/windows or are unsuccessful attempts when the offender has discovered a property is locked.
Police continue to implore the community to take simple steps such as locking all doors and windows in their home and car, which decreases the chances of residents falling victim dramatically.
