Sydney retail worker threatened with knife at shopping centre; security response questioned
A retail worker at Broadway Shopping Centre in Sydney was threatened by a man with a knife in March, who also stole items from the store. The incident raised concerns about how shopping centre security responded to the threat and whether they gathered sufficient information to identify the suspect. The case highlights broader workplace safety issues in retail following the 2024 Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing that killed six people.
Shivanya Biswajeet, a retail worker at Broadway Shopping Centre in Sydney, was threatened by a stranger who told her "Move, I have a knife" in March. The man also stole socks from her store and left behind an empty kitchen knife packet in a fitting room, suggesting he was carrying a weapon. After the incident, Ms Biswajeet criticized the shopping centre's security response, saying they did not ask basic questions about the man's appearance or conduct surveillance to locate him, instead simply directing workers to call police. The man was eventually charged, fined, and sentenced to a community corrections order. The incident occurred nearly two months after a NSW Coroner's inquest into the 2024 Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing rampage that killed six people, which examined how security protocols could be improved. The retail workers union SDA has called for shopping centres to implement customer abuse and violence control plans, noting that more than a quarter of retail workers report not feeling safe at work.
What different sources said
- ABC AustraliaCenter
Fitting room discovery shakes Sydney shopping centre worker
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