'Really scared': Man claiming to have knife leaves shop worker feeling unsafe

Call for security boost at shopping centres to clamp down on knife risk Wed 10 Jun 2026 at 6:28am In short: A retail workers' union is calling for large shopping centres to increase onsite security and implement violence control plans. A Sydney shop assistant says she faced a man claiming to have a knife, while in Victoria, officers recently arrested a man allegedly carrying one at a centre in Forest Hill. What's next? The NSW government is still considering a recommendation from the Bondi Junction stabbing inquest to widely push 'Escape. Hide. Tell' safety messaging. Shivanya Biswajeet was finishing a lunch break when five words stopped her in her tracks. "Move, I have a knife," a passing stranger told her at Sydney's Broadway Shopping Centre in March. Shocked, Ms Biswajeet did a double take, but the man had already slipped into the weekend crowd down an escalator. When the retail worker returned to her store, she soon learnt her co-worker had encountered the same man. "It looks like he stole some of our socks ... and when she went to go check on that fitting room after he left, she found an empty [kitchen] knife packet," Ms Biswajeet said. "That's when I started to really get scared ... this guy is probably walking around with a knife, he could hurt someone." She asked her colleague to call security and the pair were told to ring police. While waiting for the officers to arrive, she said she was left feeling "anxious" in the shop, "worried this guy is still roaming around". Ms Biswajeet said security did not ask her "basic questions" around his appearance or where she saw him to help "conduct surveillance themselves". While she cannot know what happened behind the scenes, she said she felt confused about how the man could be tracked or identified if they did not have key information. "The fact that all they did was just tell us to call police, and they didn't even bother to check what this guy looked like, whether he's still in the mall in the first place. That sort of concerned me," Ms Biswajeet said. "Even if they can't interfere, at least they'd know who the guy is, where they are." She said when police arrived to the centre, she noticed security "stood outside the store" who "never talked directly to us in person". A spokesperson for Mirvac, which owns Broadway, said its security team "monitored the situation" until police arrived on that day. "The safety of our customers and the community is our highest priority," they said. "We thank NSW Police and our security team for their rapid response and acknowledge the alertness of the retail team member whose actions contributed to a quick resolution." Glad Group, the security contractor for Mirvac and Westfield's parent company Scentre Group, said the report of the man's behaviour was "acted on immediately" by the team. Push for shop violence control plans The interaction happened nearly two months after NSW Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan handed down her findings on the 2024 stabbing rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction. Six people were murdered and 10 survived the attack, with security guards Faraz Tahir killed and Muhammad Taha seriously injured. The inquest noted security officers in Australia were principally tasked with "observing, reporting, and escalating incidents as they occur". "They are not trained to engage with or attempt to detain offenders." Part of the proceedings examined how another tragedy could be prevented in the future. "The Court acknowledges the extensive impact of the events ... on those who were present at [Westfield Bondi Junction], including civilian shoppers, workers and those who responded to assist," the findings said. The NSW branch of retail workers union SDA said its members were facing workplace safety concerns like physical violence or verbal abuse, with more than a quarter reporting not feeling safe at work. "The Westfield Bondi incident was a traumatic incident that reverberated throughout the retail industry and across our community," SDA state secretary Bernie Smith said. "The response to the findings of the inquest need to ensure that retail workers can feel safe at work again." Last week, Victoria Police arrested a man allegedly carrying a knife at a shopping centre in Forest Hill. SDA is pushing for large retailers and shopping centres to implement violence control plans — including risk assessments, training and reporting systems — as well as increased onsite security and improved coordination with police. NSW Police confirmed a man was charged with shoplifting and stalking or intimidation intending to cause fear or physical harm after reports he allegedly "behaved in an intimidating way" towards another man during the Broadway incident. "No injuries were reported in relation to this incident," they said, adding he was handed a community corrections order and fined. Ms Biswajeet said police later told her only scissors were found on his person. "For all we know, he probably threw away the knife somewhere," she said. She said she "wouldn't know what security could have done" if the situation had become "life-threatening". Glad Group said in a statement its guards attended the location, monitored the man and worked to manage the surrounding area in the centre. "The police were contacted and arrived a short time later to resolve the incident," a spokesperson said. "The safety of customers and staff in the centre was our priority." The 'sliding door moment' In the past, Ms Biswajeet said her team had always called security to report suspicious behaviour such as theft. "I actually knew I ... really wanted to call the police, but I just wanted to confirm by calling security first," she said. Former counterterrorism detective Peter Moroney said there was a "sliding door moment" in the face of a threat, and who to report to was context-dependent. Mr Moroney said some people call Triple Zero (000) on "instinct". However, some retail workers were trained to contact centre management as a first port of call. The parent company of the store Ms Biswajeet worked at said it had its own safety program called "Calm, Warn, Act" for dealing with aggressive customer behaviour. "The program requires team members to seek third-party assistance when confronted with any threatening or violent behaviour," a spokesperson said. "Depending on the nature and immediacy of the threat, this may involve contacting Shopping Centre security, police, or emergency services." They said team members at immediate risk to safety or in a serious emergency were directed to call 000. Mr Moroney said when necessary, shopping centres could enforce a lockdown in active armed offender (AAO) situations before contacting police to "deny and delay" risk. "I would expect in that case the security guards should have grabbed information around what we call 'person, object, planning'; who is the person, what's the object, where were they sighted?" he said. "It's going to come down to what are the individual facts ... and then what options were available to [people reporting danger]. "I think [the Broadway workers] have certainly done the right thing and reported it to security." Campaign to report suspicious behaviour One recommendation from the Bondi Junction inquest was a call for the NSW government to actively promote the principles of 'Escape. Hide. Tell' in relation to AAO events. This public service message directs people to move away from danger, remain concealed and dial 000 in the "unlikely" event of an attack, officials say. The state coroner also encouraged "operators and owners of Crowded Places to disseminate the messaging amongst staff, retailers, and attendees". The recommendation is currently under consideration by relevant parties, the state police minister's office said. Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) chief executive Angus Nardi said the industry worked closely with police on security threats. Mirvac is a member of the SCCA. "The SCCA has a longstanding engagement on relevant policy and law reform on community safety issues, including knife crime," Mr Nardi said. He said the council focused on highlighting the "unacceptable nature of aggression, threats and abuse" towards retail workers, and had partnered with Crime Stoppers on a national campaign encouraging shoppers to report suspicious behaviour. The Mirvac spokesperson said Broadway followed recommended industry guidelines and conducted regular scenario training to "ensure we are equipped to respond effectively to any situation". "As per the Escape, Hide, Tell guidelines, in the event of an attack, anyone involved should contact police once it is safe to do so," they said. Mr Moroney said the effectiveness of the public service message was hindered if "the majority of shoppers don't know about it".