
When it comes to catching criminals who threaten and injure retail workers and steal goods, it’s important for Crime Stoppers to work with retailers, police and the broader community to make a difference. Our partnership with Coles, as an industry leader, helps to strengthen efforts in preventing workplace violence across South Australia and ultimately provide a safer shopping environment for retail workers and customers.
Retail crime, such as shoplifting and robbery, costs Australian businesses up to $9 billion each year.
There are also plenty of examples where a thief threatens or assaults a retail worker as part of their criminal activity.
In 2022, the South Australian Government introduced a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for people convicted of basic assault against a retail worker on the job and seven years when the assault causes harm.
It’s a significant and serious problem, and police can’t catch those responsible on their own. They need people in the community to step up and share what they know. We understand that not everyone wants to speak direct to police, make a statement or go to court – and that’s where Crime Stoppers offers a solution, because we don’t need your name, just tell us what you know!
Below are images of suspected shoplifters and people accused of assaulting a retail worker who we need your help to identify.
We want you to look at the images of these suspects and anonymously tell us who they are by anonymously contacting Crime Stoppers online or by calling our freecall hotline on 1800 333 000.

Do you know this person? He is suspected of stealing $328 worth of goods from Bunnings at Kent Town on Sunday, 26 November 2023.
REF: SAP2300304039

Do you know these females? They are suspected of stealing $319 worth of alcohol from Liquorland at St Clair on Saturday, 25 November 2023.
REF: SAP2300303308

Do you know this male? He is suspected of stealing $80 worth of groceries from the Drakes store at Salisbury North on Saturday, 25 November 2023.
REF: SAP2300303092

Do you know this female? She is suspected of stealing $800 worth of groceries from Coles at Salsibury Downs on Tuesday, 14 November 2023.
REF: SAP2300297482

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $257 worth of lego from Big W at Cumberland Park on Monday, 13 November 2023.
REF: SAP2300291521

Do you know these people? They are suspected of stealing $175 worth of goods from Coles at West Lakes on Sunday, 12 November 2023.
REF: SAP2300290913

Do you know this person? She is suspected of stealing $35 worth of goods from the Coles store at Burnside on Monday, 13 November 2023.
REF: SAP2300291975

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $550 worth of fragrances from Myer in Adelaide on Sunday, 12 November 2023.
REF: SAP2300290894

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $617 worth of clothing from Myer in Adelaide on Tuesday, 24 October 2023.
REF: SAP2300268443

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $134 worth of cosmetics from Coles on Thursday, 26 October 2023 at Marion.
REF: SAP2300267681

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $150 worth of meat from the Drakes store at Port Lincoln on Sunday, 22 October 2023.
REF: SAP2300263641

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing alcohol from BWS at Munno Para on Saturday, 4 February 2023.
REF: SAP2300032136

Do you know these people? They are suspected of stealing goods from the Coles store at Findon on Thursday, 5 October 2023.
REF: SAP2300248557

Do you know these people? They are suspected of stealing goods from Coles on Thursday, 5 October 2023 at West Lakes.
REF: SAP2300247798

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing goods from the Coles store at Mount Gambier on Thursday, 5 October 2023.
REF: SAP2300248471

Do you know these people? They are suspected of stealing meat valued at $869 from the Drakes store at Walkley Heights on Tuesday, 17 October 2023.
REF: SAP2300259260

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $300 worth of meat from Coles on Tuesday, 19 September 2023 at Kilburn.
REF: SAP2300234439

Do you know these people? They are suspected of stealing headphones from Coles on Monday, 18 September 2023 at Ingle Farm.
REF: SAP2300233273

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $140 worth of alcohol from Liquorland on Tuesday, 19 September 2023 at Payneham.
REF: SAP2300233939

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $110 worth of clothing from Myer Sunday, 17 September 2023 at Adelaide.
REF: SAP2300232186

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $1105 worth of goods from Coles at Greenacres on Tuesday, 17 October 2023.
REF: SAP2300260920

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $500 worth of groceries from Coles on Wednesday, 28 June 2023 at Ingle Farm.
REF: SAP2300217442

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $178 worth of groceries from Coles on Tuesday, 5 September 2023 at Edwardstown.
REF: SAP2300221316

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $250 worth of groceries from Coles on Monday, 4 September 2023 at St Clair.
REF: SAP2300219825

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing groceries from Coles at Ingle Farm on Thursday, 18th May 2023.
REF: SAP2300124477

Do you know this person? They are suspected of using bank cards stolen from a vehicle on Monday, 10 July 2023 in Seaton.
REF: SAP2300171816

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $82 worth of groceries from Coles on Sunday, 15 October at Kurralta Park.
REF: SAP2300257556

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing $369 worth of toothpaste from Coles on Wednesday, 18 October at Ingle Farm.
REF: SAP2300260310

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing alcohol from First Choice Liquor at Hindmarsh on Wednesday, 28 June 2023.
REF: SAP2300160109

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing groceries from Coles at Mount Gambier on Friday, 29 September 2023.
REF: SAP2300243815

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing clothing from the Myer store in Adelaide on Thursday, 15 June 2023.
REF: SAP2300150271

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing bedding from Spotlight at Gepps Cross on Tuesday, 13 June 2023.
REF: SAP2300147074

Do you know this person? They are suspected of using a stolen credit card to buy items at the OTR in Munno Para on Wednesday, 5 April 2023.
REF: SAP2300087735

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing goods from The Good Guys at Gepps Cross on Saturday, 6 May 2023.
REF: SAP2300113566

Do you know these people? They are suspected of stealing items from Refreshing Memories in Blair Athol on Friday, 5 May 2023.
REF: SAP2300116035

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing items from the OTR at Alberton on Thursday, 11 May 2023.
REF: SAP2300117887

If you recognise any of these people you can anonymously share what you know at the Submit a Tip tab at the top of the page or freecall 1800 333 000.
PLEASE QUOTE REFERENCE NUMBER

Do you know this person? They are suspected of stealing alcohol from the BWS store at Hollywood Plaza on Tuesday, 30 May 2023.
REF: SAP2300134752

Do you know these people? They are suspected of stealing over $1000 of groceries from Coles at Reynella on Sunday, 8 October 2023.
REF: SAP2300261080

Do you know this person? They are suspected to have stolen clothes from David Jones at Marion on Friday, 5th May 2023.
REF: SAP2300112877
FAQ'S
Retail crime costs us all. Every single theft and robbery impacts on sustainability of a business and ultimately increases the cost of goods to consumers. For some smaller business who are already dealing with tight profit margins, losing stock to thieves may force them to close their doors, forever.
What’s even more sobering is that less than 20% of retail crimes are estimated to be reported to police – with nearly 13,000 shoplifting incidents reported in South Australia during a recent 12-month period.
To help tackle this growing theft epidemic, we’ve partnered with South Australia Police and industry leaders to crack down on shoplifting and catch those responsible. There has been a significant increase in shoplifting activity across South Australia with beauty products, alcohol and expensive meat some of the main targets because they are easily concealed, high-value and in-demand.
For a basic offence in South Australia the maximum penalty for theft is 10 years imprisonment.
For an aggravated offence (such as stealing from a child under 12 years or a person over 60 years) the maximum penalty is extended to 15 years imprisonment.
South Australia now has harsher penalties for people who assault retail workers, with punishments the same as those for assaulting a police officer or paramedic.
If someone is convicted of basic assault against a worker selling goods they face up to 5 years in prison, while someone convicted of assault causing harm could be imprisoned for up to 7 years.
- Use protective devices, such as security cameras and security labels or tags
- Encourage staff to watch customers for suspicious behaviour
- Have someone monitor display counters, particularly where there are small, expensive items
- Make sure merchandise is not left lying around
- Keeping areas well lit
- Close the cash register between every transaction and removing keys from showcases.
If you believe someone is leaving your business with stolen goods, then you have a right to conduct a bag search. The customer also has the right to refuse that request and they cannot be forced to agree, have physical force used against them or be unduly harassed into paying.
If they refuse to have their bag searched, you may:
- ask them to leave
- refuse to sell them any goods
- call for police assistance on 131 444 if you suspect they have been shoplifting.
When it comes to a shoplifter, a thief can be any race, gender, age or background — but generally they fall into two groups: amateurs and professionals. Amateur shoplifters usually steal on impulse, while professional shoplifters are more likely to work in pairs or groups, although there are still plenty who seem to work alone. They often steal to obtain a false refund for the items, have typically ‘cased out’ a store before stealing and target smaller, high-value and harder to trace items such as Lego, high-end cuts of meat and alcohol.
When looking for a shoplifter, consider the following red flags:
- Past offences – you may already be aware of specific individuals who have or have tried to steal from your store previously. Plenty of businesses now have images of known or suspected thieves in staff rooms so workers can keep an eye out.
- Atypical customers – while it’s certainly not an absolute sign of guilt, look out for people that don’t look like your ‘typical’ customer.
- Oversized clothing or big bags – someone wearing baggy clothes or carrying a big bag, such as a backpack, duffle bag, purse or grocery bag, is potentially a thief and they will use whatever means to conceal goods.
- Groups – there are plenty of thieves that work as a team, with someone distracting a worker while another member of the group steals goods. The distractor buys time by asking questions about how to find a specific item or whether something is in stock.
- Professionals – there are plenty of ‘professionals’ who spend all their time stealing, and they use more advanced tactics to take what isn’t theirs, such as carrying thin, sharp blades (like razor blades) to remove alarm tags in changing room or lining a bag with tin foil to prevent alarm tags from setting off the detectors at store exists.