The jewellery store burglary in Narre Warren South has left shoppers and workers in shock, asking for more powers for the centre security staff.
Officers were called to the Casey Central shopping centre on Narre Warren – Cranbourne Road after a man entered the jewellery shop armed with a hammer just after 11am on 6 August.
While the investigation remains ongoing, so too does business in the centre, but some perceptions have changed.
One employee at a nearby store said that they were working when the incident unfolded, and that they “thought it was two guys fighting at first”.
“I had a customer in here with me, and we heard it all; the glass being smashed, the yelling.
“Everyone around us started to close their shops, so I did the same; we had some other customers from outside coming to me and asking if they could come in,” they said.
Shaky is the best feeling they said they could describe, despite the incident being over in what they recalled as roughly 15 minutes.
Bizarre was another feeling, not just from them, but from other workers and shoppers as well, considering the time of occurrence and the nature of the crime.
Another worker said that if it had happened to a shop outside of a shopping centre, they would still be worried, but less surprised.
“This kind of stuff happening inside a shopping centre, it’s terrifying, it’s really scary,” they said.
“My co-worker had to lock herself in the store, and they hid in the back, they heard all the screaming from the outside and people running.”
The solution for some was simple: more power and liberties for security guards.
Shoppers and workers said that it did not necessarily mean weapons such as batons or tasers, but control agents such as pepper spray or mace would have been more than helpful in those situations.
One worker said that the security is, regularly, “more than adequate”.
“What happened isn’t normal, so they [security] can handle the usual shoplifting stuff, but stores like those, with high-value goods? I think it would be a good idea for them to have higher security, or a least something to defend themselves with,” they said.
The worker watched the incident unfold and recalled that the workers in the jewellery store looked “helpless” as the perpetrator allegedly smashed the cabinets.
“Weapons are illegal, other self-defence stuff is illegal, so it would be good for these stores to have, I don’t know, a bouncer or something, someone more skilled to handle those kinds of situations,” they said.
Another worker who was further down the stretch also saw the commotion unfold.
When it all happened, they said that they just “locked my doors”.
“I had to make sure that the customers were safe in the store, and it’s what I was taught to do.”
Asked if their perspective had changed in terms of safety inside shopping centres, he said that “there’s nothing really much you can do”.
“I just hope that the victims can get all the help and support they need, because the whole thing is terrible.
“Life goes on, unfortunately, we’ve got to go about our business, bite down, and keep going,” they said.
As mentioned before, the incident remains under investigation, with police urging anyone who witnessed the incident, has footage or information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or submit an online confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
