Shopping centres see shocking reports of violence

Rates of crime have almost doubled in the last six months at one shopping centre in Cairns as a retail manager reveals a shocking trend swamping the centre. See the breakdown.

Rates of crime have almost doubled in the last six months at the Smithfield Shopping Centre in Cairns as a retail manager reveals a shocking trend swamping the centre.

Queensland Police statistics show the overall offence rate at the Smithfield Shopping Centre increased 93 per cent from 58 offences in the six months prior to October last year, to 112 — including 13 assaults — from October 2022 to April this year.

Daina Slipais manages a large retail store at the Smithfield centre.

She said that crime among young children was getting worse day by day with the perpetrators getting younger and younger.

“There’s absolutely no respect for people’s property, and the general consensus with the young offenders is that if they want it, it’s their right to have it,” she said.

“I’m very old school … and I will not put up with being called every name under the sun and to be told that an eight-year-old owns Cairns and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Other shopping centres across the Cairns regions are also seeing similar epidemics of youth crime including some shocking acts of violence.

At the Stocklands Shopping Centre in Earlville 299 offences were recorded in or around the centre in the same six months from October with a similar figure matching that of the previous six months.

In Gordonvale, Bentley Park resident Svitlana Mozghova witnessed a young girl get assaulted by two youths behind her local Woolworths, but when she intervened, the youths turned on her.

“I saw two girls standing over a blonde girl on the ground,” she said.

“One girl was pushing her head into the ground by her hair and the other was kicking her taking her time to really hit her hard.”

When Ms Mozghova drove closer and yelled at them to stop, one girl turned on her.

Bentley Park resident Svitlana Mozghova witnessed an assault on a young girl behind the Gordonvale shopping centre as she was driving past in her car. Ms Mozghova has been a victim of crime herself having her own home broken into and car stolen. Picture: Supplied

“She picked up a rock and jumped on the car so I just accelerated and left immediately and called Triple-0 from around the corner.”

Ms Mozghova moved from Ukraine where she had seen her share of crime and violence.

In Cairns, she thought she had found a place where she could feel safe but that was no longer the case after a break-in into her home late last year.

Ms Slipais also reported a recent incident she faced at work after she confronted a group of people she suspected of stealing from her store.

“Four youngies stole from my store and as I was walking out of the centre, I stopped and asked if they were the ones that had been seen stealing, a few choice words were thrown my way and being old school I will not walk away from being called an f****** white c***.” Ms Slipais said.

“I asked them sternly to repeat what they just said and it was on, a wonderful fella came to protect me but somehow he was the one hit on the side of the head, and then more great people of the community came to help.

“Long story short centre security called police and between them all the four little buggers were caught and taken away.”

Ms Slipais reported she heard the youths yelling “we own this town” and “you can’t touch us” during the spray.

A police spokeswoman confirmed a 64-year-old man was hit in the back of the head after being involved in an altercation with four youths.

“The four left the scene but were located by police a short time later nearby and are assisting with inquiries,” she said.

Smithfield centre manager John Cooper confirmed the centre was aware of the incident.

“We’re assisting police with their investigation, and as always the safety of our customers, retailers and staff is our number one priority,” he said.

In November last year Mooroobool resident Melinda Telford was shopping at Earlville Shopping Town when she was allegedly assaulted and robbed of her handbag by teenage girls.

Melinda Telford, of Mooroobool, was shopping at Earlville Shopping Town in November last year when she was assaulted and robbed of her handbag by teenage girls. With the help of good Samaritans who witnessed the attack, she got her bag back, minus a few personal possessions. Photo: Brendan Radke

In December last year the Queensland Police Service launched operation Uniform Theta, a high visibility policing operation disrupting and preventing criminal behaviour in public spaces such as shopping centres over the summer holiday period.

The operation saw 71 adults arrested on 88 offences, 19 juveniles on 54 offences as well as 701 crime hotspot patrols in the Far North.

Ms Slipais said that she has ramped up her reporting efforts and had seen an improvement in the response from police.

“I’ve certainly ramped up reporting any type of theft or fraud now and ever since I have, the Smithfield Police have been doing laps in the centre and stores,” she said.

“Its great and has made a difference.

“News travels and I’ve had shop workers in Redlynch tell me that word is getting around not to steal at Smithfield, cause you will get caught.

“Between police, Centre security and some of us retailers, we are trying to make customers feel safer so they shop locally.”

Originally published as Shopping centres see shocking reports of violence