AACS: REAL DETERRENTS NEEDED NOW

July 5, 2018: It has happened again and the Victorian Government must shoulder its fair share of the blame for its inaction in addressing crimes committed against the convenience industry.
That’s the view of the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), with new reports of yet another violent crime committed against a convenience store, this time in Montmorency, ensuring the issue won’t simply go away.
“The Opposition has laid its cards on the table. Petrol theft will be formally declared a crime, and armed robbers will need to contend with a more coordinated response to catch and prosecute them. But we’ve heard nothing from the Government to offer convenience store workers any respite or comfort,” AACS CEO Jeff Rogut says.
“All the while, people who work in convenience stores feel less and less safe and in the case of petrol theft, criminals can even afford to be confident that they’ll not be brought to justice.
“The people in the convenience industry demand tougher action against criminals who target businesses with genuine deterrents in place to crack down on these crimes,” he says.
Mr Rogut says many petrol thefts go unreported under their current classification as civil matters, because the burden falls to retailers themselves – the victims in all this – to attempt to do the work of police.
“In the context of running a small business, it is unreasonable to expect retailers to follow these crimes up and still maintain a profitable operation. Only through a proper legislative and judicial response can these businesses be protected against violent crime,” Mr Rogut says.
“The AACS encourages our members and the many employees in the convenience industry to pressure their local representatives to call for a zero-tolerance approach to crime. Lives depend on it,” he says.
Further information:                                                                                             
Jeff Rogut   
Chief Executive Officer
Australasian Association of Convenience Stores
Ph: +61 467 873 789
Media enquiries:
Stephen Naylor
Wise McBaron Communication
Ph: +61 (2) 9279 4770