Crime has dominated political discussion in the lead-up to the November 2026 Victorian election, with retail incidents in the state surging more than 20 per cent in the past year.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin placed the blame squarely at the feet of the Allan government while pledging to fund an extra 200 protective service officers to combat the problem.
"Labor did nothing in over a decade to protect shoppers and retail workers," he said.
"My government will put PSOs into shopping malls to protect shoppers and keep the PSOs at train stations to protect commuters."
The coalition's retail crime plan echoes support for several policies the Labor government has already promised, including workplace protection orders that ban abusive or violent offenders from shops.
However, Mr Battin has proposed a dedicated digital platform so staff and employers can report abuse and crime, upload evidence and apply for orders directly through Victoria Police systems.
In September, a knife fight between rival gangs at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre sent people running for their lives and led to the government fast-tracking an interim ban on machete sales.
Other centres have been the scene of similar violence.
Premier Jacinta Allan has repeatedly insisted Melbourne is safe but pivoted last week with a series of fresh moves to crack down on offences, up 15.7 per cent statewide in the year to mid-2025.
Her government has promised tougher maximum penalties for criminals as young as 14, people who recruit children to do their dirty work and those who assault or threaten to assault workers in customer-facing roles.
It will trial protective service officers, who largely monitor train stations, at Melbourne shopping centres during summer and fund 842 handheld metal detectors to unearth knives and machetes.
The police union boss Wayne Gatt slammed the government's plan as a "brain fart ... passed off as policy".
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered his endorsement of the sweeping crime crackdown on Sunday, saying it was consistent with the premier's commitment to keep Victorians safe.
10°C