Mark Shelton,Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government is committed to keeping Tasmanians safe and is pleased today to launch an awareness campaign to help protect retailers from antisocial behaviour, violence and theft.
The ‘Retail, Theft and Anti-Violence Campaign’ is a collaborative effort between Crime Stoppers Tasmania, Retail Brands Advocacy, Tasmania Police, Hobart City Council and Hobart retailers, with people being urged to ‘Chill out at the Checkout’ and if they ‘see something, say something’ when it comes to shoplifting.
Tasmania Police are implementing a range of strategies to combat this issue, but police cannot address this growing trend alone.
The Australian Retailers Association estimates the cost of shoplifting equates to 3.5 percent of all turnover and with Christmas fast approaching, retailers are preparing for their busiest time of the year.
Legislation introduced by the Tasmanian Government earlier this year now makes it easier for retailers to protect their stock from shoplifters by providing an exemption to their employees from requiring a license to undertake bag checks.
We are also delivering on our commitment to boost front-line police numbers by investing in an additional 125 police officers. In response to the recent increase in shop lifting offences, Tasmania Police has been targeting repeat offenders and a number of arrests have been made through a coordinated approach across the Southern District, with around 70 per cent of recent incidents resulting in charges being laid.
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government is committed to protecting the livelihood of Tasmanian retailers and ensuring the safety of their staff.
