Jail time for threatening staff as retail attacks surge
William Ton and Callum Godde |
Customers who attack or threaten shop and hospitality staff could face half a decade behind bars under a long-awaited retail crime crackdown.
The Victorian government has introduced laws to parliament to create an indictable offence for people who threaten, harm or abuse workers in customer-facing roles, including rideshare and delivery drivers.
Those convicted of the crime face up to five years in jail, while a summary offence for lower-level assaults and threatening or intimidatory behaviour comes with a maximum sentence of six months.
Shopfront ram raids, a common occurrence during Victoria’s tobacco turf wars, will also be re-listed as aggravated burglary and punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
“Anyone who works in these industries knows very clear the difference between the customer from hell or the customer who comes to harm,” Premier Jacinta Allan told reporters on Friday.
The government flagged the worker assault laws 18 months ago and hopes to pass them by the end of 2025.
Ms Allan defended the lengthy wait, with workers facing abuse on the job over that span without the threat of stiffer punishments.
“We have taken the opportunity to consult to get the laws right,” she said.
Separate legislation will come before parliament in April 2026 for workplace protection orders to bar violent customers from visiting particular shops.
The orders have been rolled out in the ACT, with other states and territories developing their own models.
The national retailers association and union representing their workers both welcomed the moves after a long campaign for change.
“The government should do everything in its power to have these tougher penalties in place in time for the Christmas shopping rush and the inevitable stress it creates,” Victorian Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association secretary Michael Donovan said.
The Australian Retailers Association and National Retail Association praised the government’s commitment to workplace protection orders and urged them to deliver the changes quickly.
“Retail crime in Victoria isn’t just rising – it’s reached crisis proportions,” ARA chief executive Chris Rodwell said.
More than half of Victorian retail employees have witnessed some form of crime in their workplaces, according to research commissioned by the association.
Retail crime incidents in the state have surged more than 20 per cent in the past year, accounting for around one-third of all reported incidents nationwide.
Mr Rodwell urged Victoria to follow the lead of NSW and South Australia by establishing a dedicated police unit to tackle retail crime, rather than relying on a partial response through existing protective service officer duties.
The Victorian government has been a crime announcement blitz for the past three days, headlined by its “adult time for violent crime” laws that mimic those adopted in Queensland.
AAP
