Police will be permanently stationed at shopping centres across Melbourne in a $7.2 million, tough-on-crime election bid from Opposition Leader Matthew Guy.

Police "shopfronts" will be set up at twelve shopping centres, including Chadstone, Highpoint, Knox, Southland, The Glen and Westfield Geelong, if the opposition wins the November election.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy is vowing to have police patrol shopping centres. Credit:Alex Murray

The announcement follows the Boxing Day assault of a police officer, who was kicked in the head at Highpoint shopping centre, as well as a number of jewellery store robberies that occurred in broad daylight at shopping centres last year.

“We’ve been speaking to shopping centre operators and Victoria Police and we believe this is the right policy to ensure we keep shopping centres safe,” Mr Guy said while making the announcement at Southland on Thursday morning.