Retail crime
Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (13:47): Last week I visited Werribee Central Woolworths and met with representatives of the retail industry who are advocating for change to stamp out the surging rise in organised retail crime. Retail theft in Victoria is on the rise, with organised crime presenting as a major challenge for all businesses big and small, not just players like Woolworths and Coles. Costing some $900 billion annually, ultimately Victorians are paying the price. Victoria currently has the unattractive position of being a hotspot for organised retail crime, with the problem significantly worse here than in any other state. An organised crime syndicate is responsible for 70 per cent of all theft currently in retail. Retail organised crime has risen by more than 10 per cent in the last 12 months alone, and this number continues to rise. These individuals are brazen, trained, calculated and dangerous. Staff and customers are being forced to fend off violent offenders wielding machetes, screwdrivers, knives and other weapons designed to inflict fear and serious injuries. While the retail industries are upskilling their workforce and spending hundreds of millions of dollars on additional security cameras and equipment, this is not enough. They need a coordinated approach from government, industries, unions and the community to work together to get the message out: you will get caught, the penalties are severe and there are consequences for your actions.