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ACT Policing responded to more than 500 incidents at retailers and arrested more than 40 people following a successful Operation RETAIL last month.
Operation RETAIL, launched on 1 October, was a month-long campaign to address anti-social behaviour and theft within Canberra’s shopping precincts.
The campaign was developed in consultation with retail managers, security providers and external agencies. It focused on deterring anti-social behaviour, reducing retail theft, enhancing public perceptions of safety and improving business safety and security.
Throughout the month of October, officers in the ACT responded to:
- 515 incidents at stores across the ACT, including 14 burglaries, 18 assaults and more than 250 thefts
- 42 people were arrested for various offences committed at shops in the ACT
- Police also conducted more than 50 proactive patrols at retail precincts
Among those caught was a 14-year-old boy who was charged with multiple counts of theft after allegedly stealing more than $21,000 worth of alcohol from various liquor stores across Canberra.
A 32-year-old Wanniassa man charged after allegedly stealing more than $3,000 worth of products from retail outlets across Canberra and a 16-year-old girl who allegedly threatened a retail staff member with a knife at a department store were also among those arrested during October.
A number of recidivist offenders have been charged during October, with ACT Policing having laid twice as many charges on 80% of offenders, of which 23% were repeat offenders.
Retail theft and anti-social behaviour remain ongoing challenges, but by maintaining visibility, working collaboratively, and applying intelligence-led policing, we can continue to protect our community, support our business sector, and build a safer Canberra.
Quote attributable to Auror, the leading global retail crime intelligence software provider, Senior Director Trust and Safety Nick McDonnell
“The success of Operation RETAIL shows what’s possible when police and retailers work together using technology like Auror to address prolific and violent crime in the community.
ACT Policing’s leadership in using tech-based solutions has demonstrated the power of a collaborative, intelligence-led approach to tackling high volume retail crime,” Mr McDonnell said.
Retailer data in Auror tells us the top 10% of offenders are causing over 60% of the crime. Police do amazing work in the community, and targeted operations like this help focus their precious resources on those highest harm repeat offenders, to make an outsized impact on the problem and keep stores safe.”
Quote attributable to State Director of Operations - NSW & ACT, Woolworths, Matthew Spiteri
“We commend the ACT Government and ACT Police for the success of Operation Retail. The collaborative work by the police and our team directly supports our efforts to keep our stores safe for both our team members and customers.
During the operation, we observed and stopped more than 400 incidents of theft and recovered over $20,000 worth of stock. We have also provided a substantial amount of evidence to police in relation to many of these incidents to assist with investigations and criminal prosecution of these offenders.
This type of targeted, visible police action is precisely what is needed to address retail crime in the ACT.
It also underscores the importance of Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs) in targeting repeat and violent offenders. A key outcome was seeing a violent offender, already subject to a WPO, being charged and remanded by ACT Police, which is a significant win for team safety."
Quote attributable to NSW/ACT Branch Secretary of Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association, Bernie Smith
“The SDA wholeheartedly welcomes the ACT Police initiatives in Operation RETAIL to crack down on customer violence in shops and fast food outlets and retail crime.
High-visibility policing - ‘cops in shops’ - sends a strong message that violence and intimidation won’t be tolerated anywhere.
Ten percent of perpetrators commit 60 percent of the offences in retail and fast food, so this focused operation makes a real difference.”