Coles committed to assisting with retail crime in Geraldton as local leaders back minister’s message

The supermarket giant criticised by Police Minister Reece Whitby for failing to report crime in Geraldton says it is committed to working with local police, as key groups in the region back the minister’s claims.

On Thursday, Mr Whitby singled out Coles, urging it to be “a good citizen” by reporting all crimes, amid allegations the company was not doing so locally.

A Coles spokesman told The Geraldton Guardian that theft was a nationwide issue and the organisation was committed to helping to find resolutions.

“Coles has made significant investments in technology, security, and team training to combat retail theft,” he said.

“When theft occurs, Coles team members report all known instances through a retail crime intelligence platform, which is accessed by the police, aiding retailers and law enforcement in their response.

“For repeat offenders or thefts exceeding a larger dollar amount, our team members report these directly to local police.”

Coles stores across the nation have seen a 43 per cent increase in abuse, aggression, assault and organised criminal activity in this financial year.

The Coles spokesman said support was needed to get ahead of the issue and the retailer was investing heavily in safety measures nationwide.

“Theft rates across retailers nationally are at unacceptable levels and require strong support from government and law enforcement to address,” he said.

“We appreciate the hard work of local police in Geraldton and intend to continue working closely with the police and local community groups to tackle this growing issue.”

Representatives from several groups in Geraldton spoke with Mr Whitby during his visit to the region and supported his call for all retailers to work together to create change.

Mid West Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Joanne Fabling said businesses had the confidence of knowing what to do and why it needed to be done.

“If retailers are able to do their part, we are able to look at further weaknesses by analysing the data and can identify further areas based on those statistics,” she said.

“We need everybody to work together on this. This needs to be a whole community approach.”

After lobbying for a year on this issue, Ms Fabling said it was disappointing to see a lack of commitment from some retailers, and urged shopping centre owners to report crime and issue banning notices, to further assist police.

She said the framework meant it was possible for information to be sent to other regions where retail crime was prominent.

Meanwhile, City of Greater Geraldton mayor Jerry Clune echoed the chamber’s call, saying retailers were frustrated.

He urged the community, including the major retailers, to participate.