Overview
- Police running a focused two-night sweep in Ballarat arrested 12 people, seized four allegedly stolen cars, and issued five traffic fines using the Air Wing helicopter, the Dog Squad, and tyre-deflating stop sticks.
- Officers tracked a stolen Subaru Impreza from the air to Mount Pleasant, where two 18-year-olds were arrested, and the alleged driver now faces charges including dangerous driving while being pursued and motor vehicle theft.
- The 18-year-old woman arrested in the Subaru case was charged with motor vehicle theft, drug possession, and possessing an imitation firearm, and both teens were granted bail to return to court.
- In a separate interception guided by the helicopter, police arrested a 27-year-old man for dangerous driving while being pursued, impounded the vehicle, and secured his remand to appear at Ballarat Magistrates' Court on April 7.
- Detectives say these targeted patrols will continue in Ballarat and urge residents to fit on‑board diagnostic port locks, park off‑street, and lock doors and windows as statewide thefts topped 32,000 in 2025.