Competing plan pitched to tackle retail crime wave

An alternative plan is being proposed to protect staff and customers from abuse and violence in shopping centres and retail precincts.

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 governm