A police helicopter roared above Ballarat for two consecutive nights at the weekend, using heat-seeking cameras to help officers on the ground catch and arrest 10 offenders.
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The operation comes as Victoria Police revealed on Monday the air wing and dog squad will have an increased presence in Ballarat over coming months, helping the city’s frontline police during searches.
Inspector Trevor Cornwill, one of Ballarat’s top cops, said last weekend’s operation saw five suspicious cars intercepted, ending in the arrest of 10 people wanted in relation to alleged burglaries, vehicle thefts and driving offences across western and central Victoria.
There were two major chases in Ballarat, including in Sebastopol on Saturday and in Wendouree on Sunday.
On Saturday night, the air wing began tracking a white Holden Commodore carrying three people who were wanted over alleged theft offences.
Police were eventually able to box in a vehicle along Yarrowee Street in Sebastopol.
Its occupants allegedly fled on foot before being arrested within minutes nearby about 2am.
Almost 24 hours later, police patrol cars in Wendouree activated their lights and sirens and began pursuing another suspicious Holden Commodore before it evaded officers.
The helicopter then found the Commodore near Forest Court, with police on foot and the dog squad apprehending two men about 12.45am on Monday.
Inspector Cornwill said police believed several of those arrested were known to each other.
“Trying to locate these offenders is always the difficult part, so being able to use all the resources available to us has made the job for the ground units quite successful over the weekend,” he said.
“In discussions with a number of units in Victoria Police, including the air wing and the dog squad, we’ve been able to successfully obtain additional resources in more country locations (rather) than just (Melbourne).
“Going forward, the air wing has been able to extend their area of operation and certainly Ballarat, being close to Melbourne and within their flight zone, (stands to benefit) and we’ll be able to use them over the next few months to assist us with future operations.”
Of the 10 arrested, six men and one woman were remanded in custody while three were granted bail.
Victoria Police’s air wing fleet, which includes four helicopters, uses heat-detection cameras to find people and vehicles emitting warmth at night.
Helicopter support also allows police on the ground to avoid dangerous pursuits and re-engage when a wanted vehicle is seen slowing down.
