Retail theft keeps climbing as Ballina chemist speaks out
Ballina chemist owner Steven Julius says shoplifting has become a constant problem, as new figures show the town is nearing the top of the state for growth in retail theft.
“That’s four we’ve caught in 24 hours. It happens all year round,” Mr Julius said.
The latest Ballina LGA data, covering January to December 2025, shows shoplifting increased 183 per cent, with offences rising from 112 to 317 in a year.
That places Ballina among the top regional areas in NSW for growth in retail theft, ranking seventh in the state and running at 1.8 times the state average.
For Mr Julius, the numbers reflect what is now a daily reality inside his store.
“It’s not just the loss of stock — it wears you down,” he said.
“You start every day wondering what’s going to walk out the door.”
CCTV footage shows a customer putting items in her bag before allegedly leaving the store without paying
Staff under pressure
He said staff are regularly forced to monitor suspicious behaviour, and in some cases intervene, but there are limits.
“I can’t ask staff to confront them all. It’s just too much,” he said.
“You don’t want to confront people, but sometimes you have to.”
Mr Julius said offenders are often repeat visitors.
“It’s the same faces. They know there’s very little that will happen.”
CCTV has become an important tool, allowing staff to review incidents after offenders leave and, in some cases, recover stock.
He said all thefts were reported to police.
The hidden cost of theft
The financial impact goes beyond what is taken from shelves.
“It’s worth stating that we pay full price for perfume testers. They are the actual product taken out of stock and put there to sample,” he said.
“If you look at the display at the back, there is about $1,000 to $2,000 worth of testers missing. It adds up.”
The figures also show alleged offenders are predominantly male, with people aged 30 to 39 making up the largest group.
Limited results from police blitz
CCTV footage shows an alleged “repeat offender” placing items in his pocket.
Despite the ongoing rise, a recent police operation across the Richmond Police District has delivered limited results.
Deputy Mayor Damian Loone told Ballina Shire Council’s March meeting that a targeted operation involving specialist loss prevention officers and plainclothes police resulted in just four arrests across the district.
Cr Loone said he understood none of those arrests occurred within Ballina Shire.
Police say they are continuing to respond through Operation Rapina, which targets anti-social behaviour and retail theft in Ballina.
The operation has been run twice since July last year, with further deployments planned.
High-visibility patrols of shopping centres, public spaces and transport hubs also continue as part of routine policing.
CCTV rollout moves ahead
In response to growing community concerns about rising crime, Ballina Shire Council has also moved ahead with a long-awaited CCTV rollout across Ballina and Lennox Head CBDs.
Councillors voted to award a contract to Dash Group Australia for the supply and installation of CCTV infrastructure, valued at $493,946.85 excluding GST.
The broader project, including infrastructure and connectivity, is expected to cost between $800,000 and $1 million, with the Federal Government contributing $1 million.
Annual operating costs are estimated at $50,000.
While the measures are seen as a step forward, retailers say the issue is already deeply embedded.
For Mr Julius, the trend is clear.
“It’s happening every day now,” he said.
Main Photo – CCTV footage provided to police captures a customer before he allegedly places an item in his pocket and leaves the chemist without paying.
Earlier story: Crime rising, cameras delayed: Ballina still facing long wait for CCTV
