Bush Summit: Shepparton traders plagued by thieves as drug scourge fuels crime

As police resources get stretched to the limit, Shepparton traders say they’re being targeted by thieves “every day” as drug addiction and living costs drive a surge in crime in regional Victoria.

Shepparton traders say they are grappling with products being stolen “every day” as drug addiction and people who are struggling to put food on the table drive shoplifting in regional Victoria to higer levels.

Of the 30-odd stores the Herald Sun visited across Shepparton, a solid 80 per cent of traders said they were having items stolen on a daily basis” by repeat offenders who they knew on a first-name basis.

Drug use and possession in the Shepparton area spiked 15 per cent and the manufacturing of drugs rose 13 per cent, but the total number of drug-related offences dipped 18 per cent.

Meanwhile retail theft has risen nearly 8 per cent in the city, while thefts in Mildura and Ballarat soared 23 and 14 per cent respectively.

But business owners and their staff say there often isn’t any point in reporting the thefts to police, who are stretched for resources and don’t have the time to investigate minor crimes.

Bicaro’s Ristorante owner Gina Sozzi says thieves have targeted the restaurant three times in two months. Picture: Jason Edwards

Bicaro’s Ristorante owner Gina Sozzi’s North St eatery in Shepparton has been broken into by thieves three times in the past two months.

The crooks have been able to steal hundreds of dollars worth of food and alcohol after smashing their way through the front window.

The fed-up business owner has had to replace all of her fresh kitchen stock as it was likely touched by the thieves when they “trashed” the joint.

“They jumped the bar and were literally in and out,” she said.

“They’ve dragged a wheelie bin into the kitchen and have literally stripped us, two fridges, and the freezer.

“We didn’t actually go through our insurance, because if you did for a third break-in, our premiums would be through the roof so we wore the cost of that, it’s heartbreaking.”

Ms Sozzi says the restaurant has been stripped by thieves. Picture: Jason Edwards

Deb Keck, a Rebel Sport employee in the centre of Shepparton, says her store loses thousands of dollars in stock each week which prompted them to close one of two exit points.

Ms Keck said she confronted two serial offenders in recent days as they tried to leave the store with a stash of goods without paying.

“She just came at me swinging,” she said.

“She was on a mission, she was stealing, flipping me the bird and I thought ‘just go, get out’.

“All we can do is look at the footage, we’re not allowed to stop them from going out the door, there’s nothing you can do.

“It’s constant, I would say nearly every day there is something stolen, guaranteed.”

Traders say the drug crisis is playing a big part in driving shoplifting. Picture: Jason Edwards

Shepparton’s BCF store manager Dana Eliason said the drug trade “absolutely” played a part in shoplifting across town.

“They haven’t got money coming in, so they’re trying to (steal) items to sell, to get drugs, 100 per cent,” she said.

Her colleague, Josh Sofra, said: “In the past six to 12 months, it has definitely been worse, undeniably.”

“I think they genuinely can’t pay for it so they just take it.”

Victoria Police Inspector Michael Layton said seven people were recently arrested in a Shepparton retail crime sting but it remained a significant challenge for the force.

“The challenge of retail theft is impacting communities statewide, influenced by rising inflation, cost of living pressures, and high interest rates,” he said.

Police search a car in Shepparton. Picture: Jason Edwards

Dealing drugs, stealing food to survive

Lindsay Harrison Randall isn’t proud to admit that he has resorted to stealing food and dealing drugs to feed himself and his three children.

The 33-year-old has been living rough for the past five years across Shepparton, Horsham, Warrnambool, Ararat, Ballarat and Melbourne.

Speaking from outside his two-man tent on the riverbanks in Shepparton Mr Randall said more needed to be done about homelessness to lower the drug and crime rate in the city.

“We spend most of our pay cheques on living and surviving, paying off debts, but also we do a lot of bad things in the way of stealing, dealing and selling drugs, getting into drugs, getting into crime,” he said.

Lindsay Harrison Randall is living rough on the banks of the Goulburn River. Picture: Jason Edwards

“I will go to Safeway, and I’m not proud of this, and to Coles, and I will steal meat packs, and I will drop them off to my people.

“If the government opened their hearts, instead of worrying about roads or infrastructure, worry about homelessness, because then it will lower the crime rate, it will lower the drug rate.”

Shepparton and its surrounding suburbs alone have nearly 50 people living in tents, while 60 people sleep in their cars and 144 sleep in parks, caravan parks or on couches.

More than 200 people sleeping rough have fled family violence.

The mercury dipped to -3C the night before Mr Randall, a proud Indigenous man, shared his story.

It would then drop to the same temperature later that night.

Lindsay Harrison Randall says his tent is all he has. Picture: Jason Edwards

The battler had been collecting pieces of firewood to keep his tiny campfire going through the night, trying to keep himself and his uncle, who was also in a tent just metres away, warm.

But he said taking various drugs was a way for him and the other 18 people living on the riverbanks to cope with the cold.

“There are days where I don’t want to come out of this tent because I don’t want to face the world, it’s too daunting,” he added.

“You won’t like to hear it, but I steal food, I buy drugs, I sell drugs, just to keep myself going so I’m not thinking.”

“It’s a do or die world, this tent is my home, that’s all I’ve got … it’s really shit, it’s not easy.”

There are days he doesn’t want to leave his tent. Picture: Jason Edwards

Beyond Housing Shepparton said family violence was “one of the leading causes of homelessness” in regional Victoria.

Chief executive Celia Adams said sleeping rough in the bush often drove people to a life of crime, pleading for the state government to finance more social housing.

The agency has committed to building hundreds of new housing units across the state to meet increasing demand.

They currently house nearly 2800 people around Victoria.

Victoria Police Inspector Michael Layton said more than a million dollars’ worth of gear had been seized in raids over the past year across Greater Shepparton.

He said drug-related crime had dropped by nearly 20 per cent.

“However, there has been a series of significant drug-related investigations conducted by the Shepparton Crime Investigation Unit and Divisional Response Unit in this time,” he said.

“These investigations have led to dozens of people arrested for drug trafficking, as well as the seizure of over a million dollars of illicit substances.”