Darwin Woolworths blasts jingle outside store to stop 'loitering'

Darwin Woolworths blasts jingle outside store to stop 'loitering' and anti-social behaviour In short: Woolworths has installed outdoor speakers at its Darwin city store to play the supermarket's 'Fresh Food People' jingle on repeat in a bid to deter loitering. The store, located next to a major bus stop, has reportedly experienced several incidents of violent or aggressive behaviour toward staff and customers. What's next? An expert has said while people have a right to feel safe, the tactic could have unintended consequences. Woolworths is blasting its 'Fresh Food People' jingle at its Darwin city store in the hopes it will stop loitering and anti-social behaviour directed at staff and customers. The supermarket giant has recently installed several outdoor speakers that play the 20-second song on a loop, which can be heard from across the street. The supermarket sits across the road from a university campus, near residential apartments and next to a major bus stop with the music also audible there. Some have described the jingle as "very irritating" and "constant" with one customer saying, "it drives me nuts". "It's not annoying me but it's on repeat, all the time," another shopper told the ABC. Music designed to tackle anti-social behaviour A spokesperson for Woolworths said the system was introduced earlier this month to tackle safety concerns, after the store reported 24 incidents of violent or aggressive behaviour this year. "We've received numerous complaints from the community and our own Woolworths team members about their safety while entering and exiting our Darwin City store," the spokesperson said in a statement. "This is due to ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour and aggression from individuals loitering outside in the carpark and at the bus stop for extended periods of time. "We introduced a music speaker system that discourages loitering, helping to increase safety." Woolworths confirmed the tactic was not being used in any other store location in the country. A spokesperson for the City of Darwin said the music was being played "from within the Woolworths premises" and none of the speakers are located on City of Darwin-controlled public land. "Therefore, City of Darwin has no role in authorising the music being played by Woolworths," the spokesperson said. "As the Woolworths and associated car park are not owned or controlled by City of Darwin, capacity to intervene in that space is limited, however City of Darwin will continue to assist where appropriate and within the scope of its jurisdiction." Tactic an example of 'hostile' architecture Woolworths isn't the first to use music as a means of tackling anti-social behaviour or driving away unwanted visitors. In 2023, the City of Bunbury council in Western Australia came under fire for playing The Wiggles' song Hot Potato on a loop to drive homeless people away from a regularly used shelter and sleeping spot. In Melbourne, Coles faced criticism for playing opera from a store in the inner-city suburb of Prahran which could be heard from the street in an attempt to deter crime. Mark Olweny, an associate professor of architecture at Charles Darwin University, said the use of loud or repetitive music is an example of "aggressive" or "defensive" architecture. He said while the use of "annoying" audio may be effective in the short term, the tactic could be "counterproductive" in the longer term. "It has a downside because it doesn't only effect the people you want to move on, but it's also going to affect the people you want in that space as well,"he said. Mr Olweny said people may learn to blank out the sound and while people may be deterred temporarily, they would ultimately return for reasons like shade or transport. Loading..."In some instances, it may be called loitering but for the individual it is not loitering, they're there because there is a need that space is fulfilling," he said. "In this case it could be getting away from the sun so if there's shade people are seeking that's where people will go." "If we address that in a more nuanced way … or empathetic way we may find that the issue of loitering will be resolved with better outcomes rather than taking an aggressive approach." Northern Territory Police said there were regular patrols of the area. "The Darwin CBD, including the area surrounding Woolworths and the bus interchange, remains an area of regular police activity due to the high volume of people moving through the location each day," a spokesperson said. "While some incidents can involve violence, the majority of police interactions are resolved through early engagement and proactive intervention before behaviour escalates".