Bendigo shop staff clash with shoplifter as retail theft surges
A 19-year-old shop assistant removed an alleged shoplifter from a Bendigo store. This is part of a rising trend affecting retail safety.
Paul Kabalan, 19, confronted a man putting beanies into his pants at Drummond Golf in Bendigo on October 1. The man threw a beanie at Kabalan and kicked the store door in as he left.
Staff locked the store down with about five or six customers inside. Chris Wilkinson has owned the store for 30 years.
He said the incident shows a broader trend of retail theft in central Bendigo. Rising shoplifting is affecting business and customer comfort.
Manager James Walsh linked the problem to rising living costs. Victoria Police is running a 90-day operation with extra officers across Bendigo to address the issue.
- Paul Kabalan, 19
- Shop assistant age
- Chris Wilkinson, 30 years
- Store owner tenure
- October 1
- Incident date
- 5-6
- Customers in store
Why it mattersRising retail theft forces shopkeepers to spend more on security. It creates safety concerns for staff and customers.
AustraliaBendigo shopkeepers are seeing growing retail theft affecting their businesses and customer experience, prompting stepped-up police patrols.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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