http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2013/11/16/327460_ntnews.html (http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2013/11/16/327460_ntnews.html)
A SHOP assistant who runs to her car after late shifts, a shopper and ex-cop who is "on guard", a mum who refuses to park under Woolworths and a retailer at his wits' end watching drunks roll in and out past his shop.
Welcome to Casuarina Square- the Top End's biggest shopping centre and magnet for more than 170,000 weekly visitors.
Most shoppers leave happy and trouble free, but the centre's security arrangements have come under fire since the brutal October 28 bashing in the Woolies carpark of Adelaide's Rick Dermody, who died days later from his injuries.
The attack triggered an outpouring of grief and anger on social media and prompted others to share their stories of threats and, sometimes, worse.
The NT News this week visited the centre to chat with shoppers and retailers about security.
Some were scathing in their criticism, others nonchalant, but there was overwhelming agreement that an ever-present tangible or intangible level of intimidation exists, particularly after dark and in the carparks. One retailer, who asked not to be named for fear of breaching the shop's contract with centre management, described the situation as "appalling".
"You are putting yourself in danger when you're here to a certain extent," he said. "It's been especially bad since the CLP took away the banned drinker register. That sh*t (bashings and threats) happens all the time down there (in the carpark).
"The bus stops are a war zone and it's the randomness of things, like that poor bloke, just the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.
Shoplifting is commonplace at the store, but the retailer said he no longer bothered calling security because "they'll either be engaged or someone will come but they will be 15 minutes late".
Other retailers and shop assistants described running to their cars after shifts and taking the most visible exits.
They said security was on hand to escort them from the centre if they wished.
Security and police were present when the NT News visited.
Most retailers agreed they were around but would like to see more.
One retailer described the centre as like a babysitter for kids without stable homes. She said she had worked in Brisbane shopping centres and had never come across the "gangs" that congregated at Casuarina Square.
A source from inside the centre, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, defended the security but agreed CCTV cameras could not reach every corner of the underground carparks.
He said management had gagged workers from speaking to the media and had even told him to delete a Facebook comment voicing his disgust about what had happened to Mr Dermody.
"Kat", a 34-year-old woman with a young child, said she had been shopping at Casuarina Square for years, but refused to park under Woolworths because of intimidation from youths.
"Nick", a 49-year-old former policeman who visits about three times a week, said he was confident he would not be troubled.
"You see a few groups prowling around - security seem to do a good job moving them on, but I keep on guard," he said.
Casuarina looks at beefing up security
Centre manager Ben Gill declined to provide details about the role, but said that it would be filled "imminently".
He also revealed the centre was examining lapel video cameras which could be worn by security guards on rounds.
In responding to criticism about the centre's security, Mr Gill acknowledged: "When there is crime in Darwin, crime will sometimes come to Casuarina Square", but pointed to crime reduction measures.
He said the centre had built a strong relationship with police, which included the establishment of an in-store beat, while an August review of the carpark areas led to more lighting and brighter paint on the walls.
"The overwhelming majority of our visitors are well-behaved, good citizens who enjoy our facilities, but as with anywhere in the community we will come into contact with people who choose to break the law," he said.
"This is why we have built a strong ongoing relationship with NT Police, so they can effectively do their job and crack down on these criminals."
Mr Gill said there were 170 CCTV cameras located in and around the centre which had led to prosecutions.
He also said the centre issued trespass notices when appropriate, worked to minimise alcohol abuse through the Casuarina Alcohol Accord and held parent and offender conferences with minor offenders.
Police could not provide figures for Casuarina Square-specific offences or callouts.
Just look at the original and see some of the comments left there. People would feel safer if the Coons weren't allowed to live in a "free for all world"and still were schooled in missions and their parents made accountable for their kids behaviour there wouldn't be these issues!
They raise the kids in a tribal sort of way while we have parents to bring us up , the Coon's parents leave the kids to their own devices and get looked after by everyone in the tribe. This explains why they wander around all over the place with no direction.No one cuts off their welfare payment if they don't gainfully look for work.
I am just so bloody tired of all their crap and I think most people know what'd be the best solution to this problem.
Thanks for sharing Br.IanVonTurpie.
QuoteA source from inside the centre, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, defended the security but agreed CCTV cameras could not reach every corner of the underground carparks.
He said management had gagged workers from speaking to the media and had even told him to delete a Facebook comment voicing his disgust about what had happened to Mr Dermody.
It seems these days that crime committed by aboriginals and some other non white groups is treated as 'Hear no evil, speak no evil.' Of course this was a racially motivated attack one whereby if any neo nazi skinhead outfit decided to bash a nigger to death investigation into the crime would be tireless. We would never cease to hear about it and people would be
encouraged to voice disgust about these sick racists etc.
Lets not forget about the the poor bloke who lost his life to these vicious sub humans because we are not taking care of our own interests.
What generally happens, as I have contact with a man who's job it is to teach these clowns.He told me, the Centrelink makes them go to a course to learn how to get employment.
Now they live in a community where there aren't many jobs or so they choose something useless like "retail" on their form. SO they have to be taught skills necessary for retail. What happens they show up for the 1st couple days of the course and abscond to shut centrelink up. Then centrelink catches up with them and threatens to cut the $ off but says "poor little Abbo baby he's vunerable now" and proceeds to give them assistance.
The teacher told me he went to a community, he had to hide his vehicle in fear of the students ruining it. Once there was a rock fight going on in the street outside the students all got up ran out and joined in and there was nothing he could do to stop it as the Abbos hold all the cards.
He also told me that the camp dogs there have no owners, nobody gives them water or food, the dogs eat their own puppies, dig for water. They either belt the dogs up or they throw them at the Crocodiles for fun.
Some of the vermin come from dry communities and get expelled by the elder for bringing either booze or drugs in, they wind up in towns where they can get the grog and start making a pest of themselves, and this is how the poor fella in the shopping centre lost his life, he wouldn't give them the free stuff they always want on coon tax!
The parents don't go to work, the kids don't go to school. All the government wants to do is throw money at the problem and tell big mining companies that they must employ X amount of Aboriginals over anybody else regardless of skills in some discriminatory effort to give them a chance of gainful employment, this is their answer to getting boongs off the street but it doesn't work! Because "You can take a monkey out of the jungle but you can't take the jungle out of the monkey"!
The second someone tried to send them off to a mission to be educated the phrase "Stolen generation" gets thrown around!
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