General News
12 June, 2026
Online platform for retail theft
Local police are encouraging the community to report retail theft using a new online form designed to save businesses time.
Local police are encouraging the community to report retail theft using a new time-saving online form.
The initiative rolled out locally earlier this week giving business owners and staff the option to report retail theft online or over the phone.
Reports made this way are then allocated to an investigator who will follow up.
Maryborough Police Acting Senior Sergeant Matthew Ormston said reporting thefts in-person has been a barrier for business owners due to their often busy schedules.
“Retail theft is an ongoing issue that Victoria Police try and deal with all the time,” he said.
“We try and find ways to improve reporting processes to actually capture accurate statistics ... to assist in mitigating these thefts occurring.”
In the Central Goldfields Shire theft offences, which includes retail theft, dropped from 328 in 2024 to 299 in 2025.
However, Act Sen Sgt Ormston said retail theft “quite possibly” has been under reported by businesses.
Maryborough IGA’s manager Jefferson Hoober said he doesn’t report around a third of their thefts.
Among his reasons was the time consuming nature of the process.
“If it’s only a small value it’s not worth us wasting time on,” he said.
Act Sen Sgt Ormston said accurate statistics about when and where the offending is occurring would help local policing.
“If members of the community do get on board with this, obviously it will assist us in assisting them in trying to mitigate any thefts that are going on in the area,” he said.
However, Mr Hoober said he also wanted better communication about the outcome of reports.
He said, in his three decades in retail, the first time police called him about the outcome of a report was a few months ago.
“Otherwise you feel as if you’re wasting your time sometimes. That’s the sad thing,” he said.
“How do you know it goes anywhere?”
Act Sen Sgt Ormston said online reports can be made on the Victoria Police’s website, under non-urgent reports, and then Report Retail Theft or by calling 131 444.
“We’re also going to have patrols going around our CBD and our businesses to try and educate members of the community on that and how to do it,” he said.