ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Supermarket conglomerate Coles is set to trial placing armed guards at the self-checkout sections of their stores in low socio-economic parts of Australia in the hopes that a lethal deterrent will help prevent people from stealing food from their shareholders.
One of the stores earmarked for the trial, Coles Betoota Ponds, already has a number of security measures that go towards protecting the property of shareholders, but this latest development has divided the community.
Up to four staff are stationed at the self-checkout at Coles Betoota Ponds at any one time, and along with CCTV and random ID checks, the store has a comparatively low amount of theft compared to other outlets around town.
One supporter of the proposed new measure told The Advocate that it should go towards enforcing the rule of law in parts of town where the police often choose to overlook.
“I think having an armed presence in my local Coles is a good thing,” explained Lindsay Wettuce, a local business owner.
“When it boils down to it, it’s a matter of simple home economics. If you don’t have enough money to buy more than the most basic food, then sorry, you should’ve listened better in school; you have to survive on what you can afford. That’s what we all do.”
“Stealing from a company that got us all through the pandemic isn’t what a civilised society does. If someone wants to steal a bag of grapes or a couple of AA batteries, they should have to risk getting a 9mm hollow point in the breadbasket. I’m sorry, but that’s the reality of it.”
One opponent of the trial said shooting people for any reason except to quash immediate danger and preserve life is beyond reproach.
Sandy Davidson, a polite young man who enjoys skateboarding in the plaza out the front of Coles Betoota Ponds, said he frequently pinches things from the supermarket, and the prospect of getting shot over a jumper filled with illicit chicken wings is scary.
“I can understand having a regular security guard there, but having one with a gun is stupid and dangerous. People are just trying to survive out here. We already have our picture taken everywhere, and they look at our IDs all the time.”
“A normal security guard means people have a choice. They can risk it, then have a wrestle with the guard, which can be fun, or they can pay. Like, I wouldn’t steal if there was a very large security guard there, like that Cuban wrestler, but if it was a scrawny little bonghead, then sure, I’d try my luck.”
The Advocate reached out to Coles for comment but has yet to receive a reply.
More to come.
