The Australian Retail Council (ARC) and the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) have both applauded the Victorian Government’s decision to extend Operation Pulse, which essentially raises the visibility of police across key shopping centres across the state.
Since commencing in December last year, Operation Pulse has delivered results across eight shopping centres, including Northland, Eastland, Highpoint and Fountain Gate. Police and Protective Services Officers (PSOs) were deployed across these centres.
According to state government data, the operation has driven a 73 per cent reduction in retail theft stock loss and a 50 per cent reduction in serious violent events at participating centres.
Victoria Police have made 452 arrests, laid 971 charges, seized more than 100 weapons and conducted 3,800 vehicle checks as part of highly visible patrols.
ARC CEO Chris Rodwell said the data shows what can be achieved when resources are committed to tackling retail crime.
“Operation Pulse is proof that when police are properly resourced and highly visible in shopping centres, retail crime drops dramatically,” Rodwell said. “A 73 per cent reduction in stock loss and a 50 per cent drop in serious violent incidents are strong results.”
Rodwell added that the sheer volume of arrests, charges and weapons seized since December in just a handful of shopping centres also underscores the scale of the problem retailers and frontline workers are facing every day across Victoria.
SCCA CEO Angus Nardi said the experience of centre-management teams across the eight complexes is that Victoria Police have undertaken proactive and effective early interventions, including identifying suspicious behaviour, deescalating incidents and intercepting offenders.
“Our industry supports a well-resourced and visible Police presence, and we thank Victoria Police for the incredibly important and challenging work that they do in keeping the community safe and helping to protect law and order”, Nardi said.
The extension of police and PSO patrols at targeted centres also comes as government data shows 84 per cent of customers felt safer, and 94 per cent of tenants supported extending the program.
Citing these results, the Allan Labor Government is investing $6.5 million to extend the targeted Victoria Police operation until the end of the year, bringing the total budget for it to gnarly $9 million.
Rodwell said that while the extension is positive, retail crime is not confined to a handful of metropolitan shopping centres.
“Retail crime is a state-wide problem in Victoria. The scale and persistence of offending — the worst in the country — demands a permanent, state-wide retail crime taskforce with dedicated resources, similar to NSW’s Operation Percentile and South Australia’s Operation Measure.
“A permanent taskforce would provide the intelligence sharing and specialist focus required to tackle repeat, high-harm offenders across the entire state.”
Rodwell reiterated that retail workers continue to experience escalating aggression, theft and organised offending, and that sustained enforcement must be matched by legislative tools that keep staff safe.
“Workplace Protection Orders are a vital next step. Retail workers deserve the same protections afforded to other frontline professions, and it is essential the agreed April implementation timeline is met,” he said.
“Retailers are ready to work with government and Victoria Police to build a coordinated, permanent framework that reduces crime, protects workers and restores confidence for customers across the state.”