Prolific shoplifters are in the sights of Port Phillip police, as officers aim to disrupt a growing trend in retail theft.
Local police intelligence indicates a core group of 11 offenders is allegedly responsible for over 500 shop thefts across Port Phillip in the past year.
This equates to around 40% of all retail theft across South Melbourne, St Kilda, Port Melbourne, and Balaclava.
In the past year, local police have processed 162 shoplifters a combined 788 times.
Overall, retailers have reported the theft of more than $680,000 of stock from predominantly supermarkets and liquor outlets.
Among the most prolific offenders are:
- A 50-year-old woman who has allegedly shoplifted from supermarkets and liquor stores 115 times in the past year. These thefts have occurred mostly in Balaclava and almost always involving the theft of alcohol.
- A 31-year-old man who has allegedly shoplifted from grocery and liquor stores a total of 50 times in the past four months.
- A 30-year-old man who has allegedly stolen predominantly liquor on 44 separate occasions across Port Phillip in the past year.
Police are conducting regular operations targeting shoplifters, as well as engaging with local retailers to reduce their chances of falling victim.
Simple tips for retailers include acknowledging customers as they enter the store and letting them know you are aware they are there; being alert for suspicious behaviour; not leaving cash in unattended registers; and checking bags when people leave the store. CCTV and alarms are also good deterrents.
More information can be found here: Prevent shop theft | Your safety | Victoria Police.
To report retail theft, you can make a report via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au. In an emergency, dial Triple Zero.
Quotes attributable to Port Phillip Local Area Commander Inspector Brett Coloe:
"We know a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet with a combination of interest rates, rising fuel prices, inflation and general cost-of-living pressures piling up.
"However, stealing is never justifiable, and not only hurts the business but other shoppers as well, often resulting in higher prices at the checkout.
"Repeat thieves are really hurting retailers, with just a handful of prolific shop thieves committing significant financial harm to hardworking businesses.
"These people are in the sights of police, who are working alongside loss prevention officers in ongoing operations in local supermarkets, liquor outlets and clothing stores.
"We know that reported retail theft is only the tip of the iceberg, with police not being made aware of all thefts by retailers.
"We implore businesses to report all incidents of theft to police so we can investigate and hold offenders to account - put simply, we can't investigate what we don't know.
"Notifying police may prevent the same offenders from targeting your store again, or someone else's."
