Crime Stoppers Victoria and Coles have renewed their community safety partnership, reinforcing their shared commitment to creating safer retail environments for team members and customers.
Since first partnering in 2023, Crime Stoppers Victoria and Coles have worked together to raise awareness of the harms caused by retail crime and to encourage community reporting of suspicious or criminal behaviour in and around retail settings.
Over the past 2 years, with support from Coles, Crime Stoppers Victoria has delivered:
- 40 community activations across Victoria, at 32 metro and 8 regional locations, promoting store safety and engaging with the public as they shop
- In-store education and team member training initiatives
- Community education to increase awareness of gift card scams, alerting the community of signs to avoid being scammed
- Community resources to remind shoppers to lock and secure their vehicles while shopping
- Greater awareness of organised retail crime and the harm that criminal networks have on retail workers
The partnership will deliver:
- Community resources alerting the community about new (and existing) scams and steps to avoid being scammed
- An education campaign highlighting the harm that retail crime causes workers and the impact on the community
- Community safety activations delivered annually at Coles stores across Victoria
- Information to encourage Victorians to report suspicious or criminal activity to Crime Stoppers Victoria.
Crime Stoppers Victoria Chief Executive, Stella Smith, emphasised the importance of industry collaboration in preventing crime and protecting the community:
“By partnering with Coles, we can reach thousands of Victorians with important messages about community safety and help to prevent harm in retail settings. Retail crime doesn’t just affect businesses, it impacts workers, customers, and the wider community. It puts frontline retail team members at risk and creates unsafe environments for everyone.”
Coles Executive General Manager Supermarket Operations, Martin Smithson said the partnership aligns with Coles’ ongoing efforts to address the issue of retail crime and create a safter environment for our team and customers.
“The safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers is our highest priority.. Through our continued work with Crime Stoppers Victoria, we’re proud to play a role in building safer communities and raising awareness about the impact of retail crime.”
Victorians can share what they know about retail crime or suspicious activity online or by calling 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.
The partnership extension will provide a renewed focus on strengthening community safety through initiatives which support customers, workers and stores.
The partnership will deliver:
- Community resources alerting the community about new (and existing) scams and steps to avoid being scammed
- An education campaign highlighting the harm that retail crime causes workers and the impact on the community
- Community safety activations delivered annually at Coles stores across Victoria
- Information to encourage Victorians to report suspicious or criminal activity to Crime Stoppers Victoria.
Crime Stoppers Victoria Chief Executive, Stella Smith, emphasised the importance of industry collaboration in preventing crime and protecting the community:
“By partnering with Coles, we can reach thousands of Victorians with important messages about community safety and help to prevent harm in retail settings. Retail crime doesn’t just affect businesses, it impacts workers, customers, and the wider community. It puts frontline retail team members at risk and creates unsafe environments for everyone.”
Coles Executive General Manager Supermarket Operations, Martin Smithson said the partnership aligns with Coles’ ongoing efforts to address the issue of retail crime and create a safter environment for our team and customers.
“The safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers is our highest priority.. Through our continued work with Crime Stoppers Victoria, we’re proud to play a role in building safer communities and raising awareness about the impact of retail crime.”
Victorians can share what they know about retail crime or suspicious activity online or by calling 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.
In an emergency, or if there is an immediate threat to life, call 000.
For media and interviews please email [email protected]
You can report to Crime Stopper Victoria at crimestoppersvic.com.au or by calling 1800 000 333.