Victoria Police announced on Thursday it has restarted Operation Harmony, which involves a massive redeployment of police onto the streets of Melbourne's CBD.
Roaming patrols on footpaths, train stations and retail areas will be bolstered to increase police visibility and deter anti-social behaviour.
The operation was first conducted in December, when police say the initiative was well-received by the local community and businesses.
"We are confident the operation which commenced this week will deliver similar results," North West Metro Region Acting Commander Belinda Jones said.
During that month, 66 people were arrested and 470 fines were issued. Police referred fewer than 20 people to a support service for an issue such as homelessness.
Police say the key targets of the supercharged officer presence is anti-social behaviour near Flinders Street station and retail crime on Bourke Street Mall.
The safe use of e-scooters and e-bikes and preventing car thefts in carparks are also being prioritised.
Fifth on the list of police priorities is engaging with those experiencing homelessness and linking them with support services.
The extra officers will be sourced from state-based specialist units, including the mounted branch and public order response team, police say.
With violent crime relatively low in inner Melbourne even before an increase in police, Commander Jones said the operation is designed to boost the city's reputation for law and order.
"Operation Harmony will aim to increase this perception of safety for residents, visitors and workers in the city," she said.
The state is still in the midst of grappling with rising crime and previous efforts to bolster police powers have been poorly received by vulnerable groups.
After police in November declared the Melbourne CBD a designated area where people could be stopped and searched for no reason, civil liberties groups filed a court challenge.
One of the plaintiffs in that case said the increase in police powers and presence would "supercharge the harassment and targeting" of Indigenous people.
Research published late last year from the Centre Against Racial Profiling found Aboriginal, African, Middle Eastern and Pacific Island communities are disproportionately targeted in police searches.
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