00:02A violent incident at a Hobart store, sparking renewed calls to improve protections for workers.
00:08No retail worker should have to go to work and have their life threatened,
00:12or no retail worker should have to protect property over themselves.
00:17Police have charged two men who they allege stole an item from Spotlight in Glenorchy yesterday
00:22and assaulted a worker who approached them.
00:25The worker was treated at the Royal Hobart Hospital for a small knife wound.
00:29Tasmania police data shows there were almost 400 assaults at retail stores across Tasmania last financial year.
00:36Business groups want the state government to speed up the introduction of workplace protection orders,
00:41which allow businesses to apply for a court order to prevent specific people from entering a workplace.
00:47What we're hearing from retailers is that customers are getting increasingly agitated and frustrated
00:53and they're taking it out on the workers.
00:56The government says it's progressing the legislation and has already taken steps to protect retail workers,
01:02by making it easier for police to search people for weapons using metal detecting wands.
01:07We have got legislation coming, it has been out for consultation, that's important,
01:12but also important to recognise, you know, we've given police wanding powers.
01:16Yes, they have taken some steps but there is still work to do and they are simply taking too long.
01:21You know, how many incidents do we need to see occur?
01:24Police say they're addressing retail crime through high visibility patrols and working with business owners.
01:30Police say they are a neighbouring police officer at Ramirez.
01:31They aid in cot they are being off as a Russian D.
