Alice Springs crime: Youth charged after alleged assault of Lings Supermarket co-owner

A child has been charged after they allegedly assaulted a Red Centre grocer, who later installed buzzers to manually let in customers into the premises. LATEST UPDATE.

Lings Supermarket owner Chloe Reid has installed a doorbell at her store after she was allegedly assaulted.

A single charge has been laid on a youth by police two days after an alleged assault which forced a Red Centre speciality grocery store to lock its doors.

An NT Police spokesperson told the NT News a 12-year-old had been charged with robbery, after they allegedly attempted to shoplift from Lings Supermarket on Todd St, Alice Springs.

The alleged robbery happened on Wednesday, May 15.

Lings co-owner Chloe Reid was allegedly struck in the face attempting to stop the alleged shoplifter.

The police spokesperson said the youth was identified and charged two days later on May 17.

“Police received reports of a group of five youths allegedly stealing items from a business on Todd St,” they said.

“One of the youths allegedly assaulted the business owner when approached, before fleeing the scene with the other youths.

“The business owner suffered minor injuries to her face, but did not require medical treatment.”

After the incident, Mrs Reid installed a doorbell on her premises, with staff now required to manually buzz in customers to the store.

Mrs Reid thanked police for their assistance. Picture: Jason Walls

“I just really wish the government would do more,” she said.

“I’m always living in fear, I’ve been waiting for (the shoplifters) to come back, I’m just very nervous that they’re going to come back.”

Mrs Reid said her CCTV showed more than five youths in the store allegedly trying to steal, and while she’s too scared to tell her mum back in Taiwan what’s happening in town, she still loves Alice Springs.

Speaking before the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro used Mrs Reid’s story to lambaste the Labor government’s curfew laws.

“What kind of environment has Labor set up for Chloe Reid and every other retailer across the Territory when they have to lock their doors?” she asked.

“Crime has become so out of control under Labor that the economic impact is profound.

“We now have people operating their retail businesses with a locked door and a doorbell.”

But Chief Minister Eva Lawler hit back – labelling the opposition leader’s speech a “diatribe” and doubling down on the new curfew laws.

“Territorians are fed up with crime,” Ms Lawler said.

“They want more to be done to improve community safety, and that is why my government is introducing legislation to allow curfews to be enacted with greater flexibility.”