Victoria Police announced on Friday, 6 November 2026, that Operation Phoenix — a major crackdown targeting extortion-linked arson attacks and drive-by shootings in northwest Melbourne — will be expanded to cover the entire city of Melbourne, including the CBD, southern suburbs, and eastern suburbs. Overnight patrols under the expanded operation are set to begin from Sunday.

What Operation Phoenix Covers

Originally launched in July, Operation Phoenix was designed to dismantle extortion-related arson networks, drive-by shooting rings, and so-called 'crime-as-a-service' offending concentrated in Melbourne's northwest suburbs. Since its inception, the operation has resulted in more than 230 arrests, with a significant portion directly linked to organised crime and extortion syndicates.

Under the expanded mandate, officers will conduct proactive patrols, target known offenders, and saturate high-risk areas across a far wider geographic footprint. The operation will also absorb resources from a separate initiative targeting aggravated burglaries and vehicle thefts, which has recorded over 5,800 arrests since 2023.

What Victoria Police Said

In an official statement, Victoria Police flagged growing concern over the exploitation of young offenders by organised criminal networks. 'Police continue to see arson used as a tool to intimidate, influence and exert control, particularly among organised criminal networks,' the statement read.

'While much of this offending is targeted in nature, Victoria Police remains concerned about the significant risks these incidents pose to the broader community,' it added. The force specifically highlighted an escalating pattern of recruiting minors to carry out serious crimes on behalf of criminal principals.

Brisbane Shooting Adds Urgency

The Melbourne expansion comes against a backdrop of serious gun violence elsewhere in Australia. On 29 October, a 19-year-old woman who was critically injured in a drive-by shooting southeast of Brisbane died in hospital, triggering a homicide investigation by Queensland Police Service.

The woman was shot in the neck and head by two masked men who opened fire on a crowd outside a boxing event approximately 28 km southeast of central Brisbane, in the state of Queensland, on a Saturday night. Detective Inspector Ian Galpin of the Queensland Police Service confirmed her death to reporters and said around 80 detectives were working the case, with gang involvement not ruled out. Three men aged 27, 37, and 38 were also hospitalised with injuries; two have since been discharged.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

The escalation of Operation Phoenix reflects a wider pattern of organised crime activity across Australian metropolitan areas. Critics and community groups have raised concerns about the increasing use of young people as foot soldiers by criminal networks — a trend Victoria Police itself has acknowledged. The overnight patrol model mirrors law enforcement strategies used in other high-crime urban settings globally.

With the expanded operation now covering Melbourne's CBD and outer suburbs, police will be watching closely whether the deterrent effect that was partially visible in the northwest replicates across the city. The integration of resources from the burglary and vehicle theft operation also signals an attempt at unified force deployment rather than siloed responses to individual crime categories.