There’s been an increase in service station and convenience store robberies across Melbourne

There’s been an increase in service station, convenience store and jewellery store robberies across Melbourne.

Robberies at service stations are up 20 per cent, convenience stores 21 per cent, and jewellery stores 1200 per cent in a year.

Speaking to Neil Mitchell, Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations, Andrew Crisp, said the increase in offending is not mutually exclusive.

‘We are seeing the same sorts of offenders involved in one sort of offending, as we are in terms of service station and the other retail outlets’

With the increase, Mr Crisp said there has been a rise in arrests and the police need to be on their game.

‘We’re actually locking up a lot of people…we’re working really hard with the various parts of the retail sector…we are always thinking about what target may be next and how best we address that’.

CEO of the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association, Mark McKenzie, told Neil service stations and convenience stores are a soft target as they have cash and cigarettes on hand right around the clock.

‘The priority for us is that the employees are safe in the first instance, goods can be insured, but it’s a lot more difficult to repair someone who has been injured through a violent theft’.

Mr McKenzie said having security guards on premises is too expensive.

‘Having someone out the front is quite expensive, it obviously has to be passed on, and it probably sends the wrong message in terms of access’.

Click PLAY to hear Andrew Crisp on 3AW Mornings

Click PLAY to hear Mark McKenzie on 3AW Mornings