Police Minister Reece Whitby slams supermarket giant Coles for not reporting Geraldton crimes to police

Police Minister Reece Whitby has taken a swipe at supermarket giant Coles for failing to report thefts in Geraldton, saying it was failing small businesses in the area by not reporting incidents to police.

Mr Whitby was in the region on Thursday following an invitation from Geraldton MLA Kirrilee Warr, urging him to help curb crime in the area.

He said after speaking to local stakeholders, retail and youth crime were among the biggest concerns within the local community.

Quarterly crime statistics from the WA Police Force revealed a concerning rise in offences across the Mid West from January-March 2025, compared with the same period in 2024, with robberies doubling from 12 to 24.

Burglaries have jumped by 31 per cent, while shoplifting reports have dropped by 22 per cent.

A retail crime forum held in Geraldton last week revealed 14 assaults against retail workers had been reported to police in the district this year, but officers believed the true figure could be higher.

Mr Whitby said the figure was frustrating, and urged all retailers to report crimes to police, singling out Coles for “not doing enough in town”.

“They’re reporting incidents of theft and other issues to an internal reporting process for Coles, but they’re not telling police,” he said.

“If Coles are going to be a good citizen in Geraldton, they need to get with the program. They need to behave like small businesses. They need to report to police.

“Coles has to lift their game. I know Woolworths are in town, I think they have a better record. IGA a better record. But I think I’ll single out Coles.”

Mr Whitby said he would approach Coles to be “part of the solution”.

The minister said small businesses were not in the same position as Coles to write off thefts, and called for all retailers, including the supermarket giant, to be part of the solution.

“I think sometimes people can think ‘If I ring the police and make a complaint, nothing ever happens’,” he said.

“That information is really valuable for police, building up their intelligence, working out and wanting to respond as quickly as possible.

“Every report can help them mount a prosecution.”

Operation Regional Shield was implemented during the summer months, which gave regional police the ability to call for specialised police from Perth to assist.

It was largely considered a success in the community, with some calling for the initiative to be made permanent.

Mr Whitby said Operation Regional Shield would continue, with deployments occurring over the next couple of weeks.

“The Geraldton police have a really good clean-up rate,” he said. “They’re getting out there, they’re prosecuting crime, they’re catching the bad guys.

“The feedback I’ve got from the community, who know all the community groups engaged in this issue, tell me the police are doing a great job.”

According to the minister, new full-time officers have been approved in Geraldton, but housing remains an issue.

In terms of stopping crime at the source, Mr Whitby said the On Track to Thrive program targeting children under the age of criminal responsibility was set to begin next month.

However, he said the challenge was getting at-risk youth into those programs, which required a community-wide effort.

“Good kids will come along and do it, but you want to get those other kids that are causing the issues,” he said.

“Your community’s got to work together: council, local community organisations, Aboriginal community groups, everyone.”

Labor MLC Sandra Carr encouraged retailers who were victims of assault to file a restraining order to ensure better protections for themselves could be in place.

Ms Warr, who met with Mr Whitby earlier in the day, thanked the minister for his visit but called for the State Government to address rising crime rates.

Coles declined to respond to Mr Whitby’s comments.