Koko Black on Swanston St business turns to private security to protect staff

Chocolate shop Koko Black has been forced to turn to private security to protect staff from anti-social behaviour, with Victoria recording the highest number of serious retail crime incidents in the country.

A business in the shadow of Town Hall has been forced to turn to private security to protect staff from petty theft and anti-social behaviour.

A business in the shadow of Town Hall has been forced to turn to private security to protect staff from petty theft and anti-social behaviour.

The move comes as other fed up retailers complained of a rise in troubling incidents along Swanston St, with some workers reporting they face problem incidents every single day.

The Koko Black shop and stall directly opposite the City of Melbourne headquarters has a security guard stationed outside to protect staff while they make coffee and hot chocolate.

Workers at the shop said there had been a recent increase in aggressive behaviour towards them.

In one incident, a person who appeared to be drug-affected grabbed the coffee stand’s safety barriers and tried to hurl them into the middle of the road.

Staff also said they were routinely randomly screamed at by people walking past.

“The security guard is here to protect us and make us feel safe,” one worker said.

Australian Retail Association Chief Industry Affairs Officer Fleur Brown said retail crime was an “intense and urgent” problem.

Koko Black coffee stand on Swanston St has a security guard.

“Retail crime has a profound and lasting impact on its victims,” Ms Brown said.

“Everyone has a right to feel safe while at work or shopping.  

“Unfortunately, retail crime remains an intense and urgent issue across the nation.”

Victoria had by far the most incidents of serious retail crime in the nation between April 2023 and April 2024, according to data from retail crime experts Auror.

Retailers in Victoria reported just under 19000 “serious events”, which involved physical abuse, violence or the use of a weapon, in that time.

The next closest state was New South Wales with 12,741 such incidents.

Retail workers at the southern end of Swanston St said there had been a noticeable rise in incidents recently, many of which may not have made it to the police.

One employee in a phone shop near Koko Black told the Herald Sun dealing with trouble had become part of her daily routine.

“Often it’s junkies who come in trying to rob something, and I have to confront them alone,” she said.

“It happens at least once each day.

“Or I have gangs of teenagers, young kids, coming into the shop in groups and trying to distract me while some of them steal stuff (a tactic known as flash robbery).”

Retailers in Victoria reported just under 19000 “serious events”.

Unlike Koko Black, she said her boss couldn’t afford to hire their own specialist security.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police data didn’t indicate a rise in crime on Swanston St, but added the road was a focus area for the force.

“Our intelligence shows there has been no major uptick in crime along Swanston St in recent months,” she said.

“That said, Swanston St remains a priority area for police.”

The City of Melbourne is investing $13m in the current financial year to try to improve safety.

During his election campaign, Lord Mayor Nick Reece also pledged to deploy up to 30 additional city safety officers wearing stab-proof vests to patrol crime hotspots across the CBD.

“We do not tolerate anti-social behaviour and work closely with Victoria Police to ensure our city is a safe and welcoming place for our traders, workers, residents and visitors,” a council spokeswoman said.

“While Victoria Police is the primary authority for city safety, we actively support their work through infrastructure improvements, on-street patrols, street cleaning, graffiti removal and services for people experiencing homelessness.”

The Allan government pledged to crackdown on aggression towards retail workers, with tougher laws slated to be introduced to parliament by the end of the year.

“We have welcomed Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s proposal to enforce stronger penalties for those who intimidate or assault retail workers,” Ms Brown said.

Originally published as Koko Black on Swanston St business turns to private security to protect staff