1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Now Woolworths is calling on the government to help a 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: deal with ongoing retail crime. They reckon that physical assaults 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: in store have increased fifty percent just in the last year, 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: and they want tougher trespars laws, which they reckon will help. 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: Gary Morrison is the CEO of the Security Association with 6 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: US nowhy Gary, Yeah, Hi, Heather, So do you think 7 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:20,240 Speaker 1: the trestparslors need updating? 8 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 2: Definitely? It all refers back to the crimes at nineteen 9 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: sixty one. So we're talking about very old legislation and 10 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 2: whilst it covers what needs to be covered, it's very 11 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 2: old wording and very difficult to understand and comply with. 12 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: We fully support the. 13 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: Argument, Okay. So their argument seems to be that if 14 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,279 Speaker 1: you trespass somebody from misbehaving in one Wilworth store, that 15 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: does not trespass them from the others. And if they're 16 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: misbehaving one will Worth store, they're just going to go 17 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: to another one and do the same thing, and they 18 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: need permission to trespass them across all premises. Would you agree? 19 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 2: Hope you agree? Yes? 20 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: Are they going to listen to that though? I mean, 21 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: if somebody's coming in and assaulting assaulting other people in 22 00:00:58,120 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: a store. It's hardly as if they're going to give 23 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: two it's about trespass laws. 24 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: I think they're sort of a wider discussion about what 25 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: security can do at that stage as well. And it's 26 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: not just trespass. We're also talking about citizens arrest, we're 27 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:12,839 Speaker 2: talking about breach of the peace, et cetera. So there's 28 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 2: other opportunities there have this ability to or retain property 29 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: or retrieve property. So we're actually in discussion with Minister 30 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 2: Mark Mitchell on exactly the same issues. What is critical 31 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: for us is to have some support from the police 32 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 2: and to have appropriate training in conjunction with that as well. 33 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: Okay, so citizens arrest, you want security guards to be 34 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: able to do this. 35 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: In the right situation with right training. Yes, we should 36 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 2: be able to retrieve property and if it's appropriate and 37 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: it's safe to do so, to detain offenders, but that 38 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: obviously needs the support of the police to be able 39 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 2: to do that as well. 40 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: Retrieve property, by that, do you mean like actually take 41 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: it off these people? 42 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: Correct before we exit the store? 43 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: Can security guards actually not do that? 44 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 2: No effect? Well, I shouldn't say no flat out because 45 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: the Crimes Act actually allows it, but it's very difficult 46 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 2: to make that interpretation. And currently the advice would be 47 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 2: not to engage with offenders because of the risk and 48 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 2: the uncertainty that security staff could actually be arrested themselves 49 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,399 Speaker 2: for assault. Exactly. Yeah, that's great, and that's a gray 50 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 2: area that sits within the law. Okay, we believe there 51 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: are some fairly simple changes that could be made fairly 52 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: quickly before conducting a fairly significant review of the Crimes Act, 53 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: just to start changing the messaging and the perception that's 54 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 2: out there with what with regards to what can be done? 55 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: Do security guards themselves want to be able to do this? 56 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 2: Not across the board, and it would only be staff 57 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 2: who have got the right skills and the right attitude 58 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: and aptitude to do so, and who have gone through 59 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 2: their preparate training. And ideally for us, that training could 60 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 2: well involved working with the police to make sure they've 61 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 2: got a full understanding from a more of a policing 62 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 2: perspective as well. It is high risk and it would 63 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: only be or a small number of very well qualified 64 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 2: and trained stuff, right, so. 65 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: You could potentially do it, like not all security guards 66 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: can do this, but if you reach a certain qualification, 67 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: then you can do that. 68 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: Yet exactly it would been a form of accreditation linked 69 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 2: to training and licensing that would very clearly identify which 70 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 2: staff could do that. 71 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: Okay, at the moment, security guards are just warm bodies 72 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: standing there, aren't they. 73 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 2: I think it goes attle bit beyond that. They do 74 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 2: provide a protective function. They are there as eyes and ears. 75 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 2: They do minimize risk and if something happens, they are 76 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 2: there's controlled the situation, et cetera. So I think we 77 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 2: have to give due credit to what they do, but 78 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: it is limited with regards to the powers they have currently. 79 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: Gary best of like trying to get this one across 80 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: the line, because it seems like that one's common sense 81 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: as well. That's Gary Morrison's CEO of Security Association. For 82 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: more from Hither Duplicy Allan Drive, listen live to news talks. 83 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 84 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.