Victoria Police believe people are helping harbour alleged Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman, saying some residents know where the fugitive is.
Speaking to media on Monday afternoon, Supt Brett Kahan said Freeman’s network was “wide” and asked those who know where he is to come forward.
“You are committing an extremely serious crime by harbouring or assisting in the escape of Dezi Freeman,” Kahan said.
“People know the whereabouts of the person who’s allegedly killed two cops. People have chosen, for whatever reason, not to come forward, and I’m taking this time to appeal to you to come forward in that respect.”
Police have set up a special “mobile facility” in nearby Bright that will be open seven days a week for people to come forward with information.
“We’re opening up other avenues for the public to approach us to give information about Dezi Freeman’s whereabouts. Take that opportunity.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
“They’ll be there daylight hours, every single day of the week, every single day of the weekend, and we’re open for business. So we invite you come forward.”
Police have received over 450 pieces of information since the alleged murders, and have searched hundreds of acres of land around Porepunkah, where they believe Freeman has been hiding, he said.
“That’s another thing I want to appeal to the public,” he said.
“There are certain areas in and around that dense forest land, which we know has previously been populated by the fugitive. If you know of any of those locations, please let the police know, because, as I said, it is difficult and very, very dense.”
When asked if Freeman’s wife, who was arrested by police last week before being released, was helping, he said, “It’s two different things to be speaking with police and cooperating with police”. Freeman’s wife has not been charged with any offence and last week issued a statement calling on her husband to surrender to police.
Kahan would not say what firearms Freeman had access to, but police would “continue to saturate” the town until he was found.
“We have specialist resources scouring every neck of the woods for the fugitive,” he said.
Police have repeatedly returned to the area around the property where Freeman lived, but Kahan would not comment on why. On Monday morning, police were seen on the property, with one Bearcat, the armoured vehicle that carries the Victoria Police Special Operations Group.
He said the local community had been broadly supportive of police but “the network of the fugitive is wide,” and asked any of Freeman’s contacts to come forward anonymously. Kahan said members of the community could also talk to police.
He said Freeman’s best option was to surrender and said Victoria Police had “an incredible appetite” to find him.
“And can I say to that point, the resource commitment to this goes far beyond the search for Dezi Freeman,” he said.
“It’s not lost on me that we now have to also resource the funerals of two fallen colleagues on Friday and Monday. That alone is a significant resource drain while we continue the search for Dezi Freeman.”
