AN Altona trader says he no longer feels safe in Australia after a customer and worker were allegedly threatened at knifepoint last week.
Jack Wei, whose Harrington Square FoodWorks supermarket and bottleshop have been repeatedly targeted by crooks, said a knife was pulled on a customer and worker after they pursued a group of teenagers accused of stealing a slab of Jim Beam mix cans from the cool room. The incident happened about 6.30pm on Monday last week.
Police have arrested and charged a 16-year-old Werribee teenager with theft and assault following the incident.
It was the latest in a string of break-ins and hold-ups at the store.
On May 10, the shop was held up by a gunman about 8pm.
A shop attendant was closing up when a man armed with what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun entered via a drive-through roller door and rifled through every till.
Mr Wei last week told the Weekly he had been robbed so often it had become “normal”.
“Robbers are anywhere. In Australia, robbers are everywhere now, not just here,” he said.
“People want to take money the easy way. If you don’t punish them harder, you won’t educate them.
“Australia, it’s unsafe now. It’s a good country, but now it happens everywhere.”
Since the near-fatal bashing of Harrington Square bookshop owner Jill Brookes on July 20 last year, police have completed a safety audit of the square.
Hobsons Bay council allocated $50,000 in this year’s budget towards safety upgrades.
The council is expected to lobby the justice department for funding.
Protective services officers are yet to be deployed to Westona train station, which is directly opposite the shop and shopping centre.
Information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
