Yarra Ranges area police Inspector Peter Lardner, centre, and Detective Sergeant Marty Fleming launch a fire patrol unit to detect arsonists this summer, with patrol officers, from back left, Senior Constable Rob Keieher, Detective Constable Damien Morrissey, Detective Senior Sergeant Ken Mahon, Sergeant John Morgan and Constable Ilona Gerencser.By Tania Martin
YARRA Ranges police are going undercover to patrol high risk fire areas and catch arsonists in the act.
The undercover fire patrol was launched last week and will operate until the end of the high fire risk period.
Yarra Rangers area Inspector Peter Lardner said, the police are throwing everything they have at the undercover fire patrol operations.
“History tells us that the majority of fires lit out here on high risk days are caused deliberately,” he said.
“This behaviour is putting innocent lives at risk.”
Fire patrol coordinator Detective Sergeant Marty Fleming said the unit will also be analysing suspicious fires which have occurred in bushland in the Yarra Ranges over the past few years.
Police officers with extensive experience in fire patrolling will be driving unmarked vehicles and watching out for any suspicious behaviour on high risk days.
Det Sgt Fleming said police will also be liaising with the Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment to share intelligence and allocate resources where they are needed the most.
He said during high risk periods members from the Traffic Management Unit, Divisional Tasking Unit and Special Solo Section will be deployed from their usual duties to work on fire patrols in the area.
“These deployments will further strengthen our capacity to deter arsonists,” he said.
Police also urge people to report anyone who is acting suspiciously on high risk fire days by calling 000.
