PEAK RETAIL CRIME COMMITTEE WELCOMES WA PREMIER’STOUGHER PENALTIES FOR OFFENDERS

The leaders of the nation’s peak retail crime committee including the National Retail Association (NRA), the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) and the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) have welcomed tougher measures announced by the Western Australian Government to combat shoplifting and petty theft.

In welcoming the proposed new laws, including the introduction of jail sentences for low level stealing offences of up to two years, and increasing fines to $24,000 the leaders of the NRA Retail Crime Committee said such measures are a necessary requirement to address the concerning rising trend and issues associated with retail crime.

Lindsay Carroll, Acting Chief Executive Officer, NRA said: “The NRA’s Retail Crime Committee has worked closely with the WA Police Force to highlight the need for additional deterrents for offenders, including sentencing reform.

“The proposed reforms target low value, high frequency offending which plague a significant section of the retail sector.

We continue to encourage the industry to incentivise reporting to authorities to provide meaningful intelligence to police to ensure these new and existing measures can be as effective as possible.”

Theo Foukkare, Chief Executive Officer of the AACS said: “The safety and welfare of our members and the public is our highest priority.

“The need for increased measures to deter offenders is an essential part of crime prevention.

On behalf of the AACS I welcome the proposed measures aimed at reducing crime and crime related behaviour, particularly recidivist teenage criminals.

Angus Nardi, Chief Executive of the SCCA said: “Our priority is ensuring community safety for all visitors to our shopping centres, and we have a longstanding history of working with WA Police and Government in developing new measures to combat ongoing challenges in relation to retail theft and crime.

“The measures proposed by the WA Premier and Attorney General are a step in the right direction and we look forward to working with the WA Government to ensure these laws are effective.”

The NRA’s Retail Crime Committee is a longstanding forum which engages closely with Police Forces across the country, retailers and landlords, and key stakeholders to discuss and resolve retail crime issues, including policy and operational issues, through a collaborative partnership.

The Retail Crime Committee is the only industry forum that has the close engagement of major landlords, along with bringing together other key groups such as the AACS, SCCA, Franchise Council of Australia and Retail Drinks Australia.