Calls for stronger policing in Melbourne’s western suburbs have intensified after Maribyrnong Mayor Mohamed Semra was allegedly threatened by a man carrying a hunting knife in Footscray, only for the same individual to be seen back in the area a short time after police intervened.

The confrontation occurred on Wednesday afternoon as Mayor Semra was walking through Footscray Mall with Maribyrnong City Council chief executive Celia Haddock and former mayor Pradeep Tiwari.

The group had been visiting traders in Nicholson Street ahead of a joint meeting of western Melbourne mayors calling for a stronger police presence following several recent violent incidents in the area.

According to Semra, they encountered a man who was allegedly behaving aggressively towards a council cleaner before the situation escalated.

After attempting to de-escalate the confrontation, the mayor said the man allegedly produced a large hunting knife and threatened those present.

“We tried to de-escalate as much as possible before police arrived, but it was a very frightening situation,” Semra said.

He added that the incident could have had far more serious consequences had fewer people been nearby at the time.

Victoria Police confirmed officers attended the scene after reports of a man carrying a knife.

In a statement, police said officers spoke with the man, who was found to be in possession of a controlled weapon.

The man was issued with an infringement notice for possessing the weapon and was directed to leave the area.

No criminal charges relating to threatening behaviour were announced by police in connection with the incident.

Shopkeepers later told media outlets they saw the same man back in Footscray Mall approximately two hours after the police intervention.

The reported return prompted fresh concern among local traders, many of whom say they are increasingly worried about public safety in the busy shopping precinct.

Semra also alleged that the same individual had been involved in a violent confrontation several days earlier in which a local shopkeeper was assaulted with a wooden plank.

Video of that earlier incident has circulated publicly.

However, Victoria Police have not publicly confirmed that the man involved in Wednesday’s knife incident was the same person connected with the earlier assault, and investigations into previous incidents remain ongoing.

The confrontation occurred against a backdrop of growing concern over violent crime across Melbourne’s western suburbs.

Recent incidents include serious assaults on local business owners in both Footscray and Sunshine, prompting mayors from Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Melton and Wyndham to jointly call for additional police resources.

The local government leaders argue existing police numbers are insufficient to address rising community concerns about safety.

Speaking after the incident, Semra said residents and business owners deserved to feel safe when walking through local shopping centres.

“A police station without enough police is like a fire station without firefighters,” he said.

“The building alone does not keep people safe – presence matters.”

He called for more neighbourhood police, additional frontline officers and greater visibility in Footscray and surrounding suburbs.

Other western metropolitan mayors echoed those concerns.

Brimbank Mayor Virginia Tachos said recent increases in police visibility were welcome but described them as an immediate response rather than a long-term solution.

She argued communities wanted permanently increased police numbers and around-the-clock staffing at local stations.

Victoria Police said officers across the western region continue focusing on proactive patrols and rapid responses to violent crime.

Acting Commander Troy Papworth said the organisation’s strategy prioritises having more officers on the streets rather than behind station counters in order to prevent crime and respond quickly to dangerous situations.

The incident has reignited debate over how police should respond when people carrying prohibited or controlled weapons are encountered in public.

While some community members questioned why the man was not remanded in custody, police have not publicly disclosed whether there was sufficient evidence to support more serious criminal charges arising from Wednesday’s incident.

Legal experts note that decisions regarding arrest, charging and bail depend on the available evidence and the specific offences alleged under Victorian law.

For local traders, however, the focus remains on restoring confidence in Footscray’s shopping precinct.

Many businesses say repeated violent incidents are affecting both customer confidence and staff safety, with several calling for a sustained police presence rather than short-term operations.

As investigations continue, the confrontation involving the mayor has become another high-profile example of the broader debate surrounding community safety, policing resources and crime prevention across Melbourne’s western suburbs.