1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Retailing Z's calling for an urgent meeting with Mark Mitchell. 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,399 Speaker 1: This after police were told to no longer investigate allegations 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: of shoplifting below five hundred bucks. The director was sent 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: out in March, it was leaked. Police say they will 5 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: continue to investigate reports if there are avenues of inquiry 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: to explore. 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 2: And my team alone deal with one point twenty five million. Now, 8 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 2: that is ninety thousand senses every single month. Now, the 9 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 2: reality is we just can't get to that now. 10 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: That was on drive last night. A Marie Johnson as 11 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: Retailing z manager of Advocacy, Advice and Commas. She's with 12 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: me now, An Marie, good morning. 13 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 2: More Anna. 14 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: Have you got your meeting with Mitchell yet? 15 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 2: We've certainly been in touch with his office in at 16 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 2: the moment where it's just trying to coordinate diaries. 17 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: Can you understand this because on the one hand they say, 18 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: even if there are lines of inquiry, we won't look 19 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: into this. If it's LEAs than five hundred bucks, then 20 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: you had them last night saying well if there's CCTV 21 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: and other evidence then maybe we will. 22 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, lot, I think the police have clarified their position 23 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,919 Speaker 2: and that's certainly helpful. You know, retailers know that police 24 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 2: aren't going to show up to this small, very minor 25 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 2: case of shop listing, but we certainly want to know 26 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: that they're taking these crimes seriously and that where they can, 27 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 2: they will be following up and resting. Often they're a 28 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 2: peat offenders, so we know who they are, and police 29 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 2: know who they are, so we want to particularly focus 30 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 2: on those people. 31 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: Retail crime's worth about two point six billion every year. 32 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: What's the average value of an item stolen? Do you 33 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: think would it be less than five hundred bucks? 34 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 2: Well, I don't know the average value, but it can be. 35 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 2: But you know a lot of things, a lot of 36 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 2: five hundred dollars items over time add up to a lot, 37 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 2: and so you know, it's kind of less the value 38 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 2: of the items and the more the impact that it 39 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: has on the retailers and their staff, and especially over time, 40 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: you know, coming to work every day not knowing what 41 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 2: you're going to be coming up against, and that's tough. 42 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: And the worst part about all of this, of course, 43 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: is we're talking about it. It's in the news, and 44 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: if you are a criminal, you'll be going sweet, I 45 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 1: can it's so long as I don't leave any evidence, 46 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: Like we're a beanie and a hoodie. Then if it's 47 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: less than five hundred bucks, basically I'm off scot free. 48 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: Well, like I say, a lot of the time, we 49 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 2: know who they are, The police know who they are, 50 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 2: and from what police are saying now, they are going 51 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: to collect the information and use that to build up 52 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 2: a case. So we're certainly encouraging our members to keep 53 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: on reporting all crimes. 54 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: And we need y do you think we need you know, 55 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: how we've got judges, but then we have jps. Do 56 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: you think we need an equivalent for the police for 57 00:02:58,800 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: low level crime? 58 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 2: Yeah? 59 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: You know, police are obviously busy. They've got murders and 60 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: things to solve. But if they had if they had 61 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: delegated powers to some you know, I don't know, some 62 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: older gentlemen who might be retired and looking for something 63 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: to do. 64 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 2: Oh, I think you're straying into very dangerous territory there, Ryan, 65 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 2: who you start talking about vigilante justice and that type 66 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: of thing, don't you. 67 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: Well, So, I don't know. I'm not saying they go 68 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: around shooting people, but maybe just maybe just investigating where 69 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: the police can't, because I mean, otherwise as you say, 70 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: two point six billion dollars, and I reckon most a 71 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: lot of thefts. And by the way, forty percent of 72 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: retailers don't even report the thefts. Most of those thefts 73 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: would be for less than five hundred dollars, so that 74 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: means that most retail crime probably wouldn't get either reported 75 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: or investigated. 76 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. 77 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: Listen live to news talks. 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