New South Wales retailers are applauding the state police force's new plans to crack down on retail crime.
Operation Percentile, a policing model targeting recidivist offending and high-harm retail offenders, is a key element of the strategy and will be rolled out statewide following success in the Central Metropolitan Region.
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) have welcomed the new strategy, with ARA CEO Chris Rodwell saying he and his team consulted extensively with the NSW Government to drive this crime crackdown.
“While there’s no single solution to this ongoing challenge, this strategy is a great example of what can be achieved by listening and collaborating with industry,” Rodwell said.
“Unfortunately, retail crime is at a crisis level across Australia, with a ripple effect on every retail worker, business owner and retail customer. Too often our front-line workers bear the brunt of this crime wave with unacceptable levels of customer aggression, abuse, assault and weapon-related threats and attacks.
“By conservative estimates, retail theft costs retailers $9 billion every year. Every customer faces the impact of that because it ultimately leads to increased prices at the check-out.”
Recent news indicates Victoria is being hard hit with retail crime and retail theft, while recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed store theft is also fast-growing in the state of Tasmania.
According to recent Auror data, 10 per cent of offenders of retail crime are responsible for around 60 per cent of total harm. Rodwell said this is why the emphasis on repeat offenders is strongly welcomed.
“People should feel safe when they go to work or head to the shops,” he said. “That’s why we’re committed to working with NSW Police and communities across the state to reduce retail crime and improve the safety of every person working in retail.
“We call on every state and territory to follow the lead of New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT with the introduction of a dedicated police retail crime unit.
“Victoria is the worst affected state when it comes to retail crime and yet the least active on a legislative front. We urgently need to see the Victorian government act to address the mounting crime issues within the state.”
The ARA and NRA are also calling for adoption of best-practice protective legislation including Workplace Protection Orders, Jack’s Law which allows police more powers to search for knives and other weapons, and the use of innovative technology to reduce retail crime. Both bodies specifically noted facial recognition technology, which has recently been under media scrutiny following the Privacy Commissioner's verdict on Kmart and Bunnings’ use of FRT in 2022.
The NSW Police strategy was developed in consultation with the ARA, National Retail Association (NRA), Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA), and the Shopping Centre Council to tackle offences including theft, repeat offending, assaults, intimidation and threats of violence.