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It doesn’t take long before the group of uniformed police officers on Chapel Street swing into action.
First, a walkie-talkie buzzes. A nearby security guard has seen a customer shoplifting and is requesting police back-up. A few officers rush to the scene and 10 minutes later, escort a young woman to their van.
Shortly after, there’s another incident. Sniffer dogs have flagged a man near an outlet store, and an officer confiscates a syringe from the man’s backpack. Later, a woman in a black hoodie is handcuffed and restrained by police at a nearby intersection.
It’s a busy morning, but it’s not so out of the ordinary. Chapel Street traders and residents are growing increasingly concerned about crime along the well-known shopping strip, which was once heralded as one of Melbourne’s premier fashion and entertainment districts.
Shoplifting is the most common crime in the precinct, according to Victoria Police data. In 2025, there were 550 alleged incidents of theft and 276 arrests. Repeat offenders are particularly problematic – almost one-third of all offences in the area are committed by the same 10 shoplifters.
Police recently conducted a blitz to combat shoplifting, named Operation Embrace. Acting Superintendent Georgie Swinton says the three-week campaign, which ended on Saturday, used state-based resources to establish a “more concentrated” police presence.
“Our ultimate goal is just to keep the community safe … when they see police, it does give them a sense of reassurance. And we are arresting people, we are holding people to account,” Swinton says.
The data indicates the operation might be working. Crime statistics say that the amount of retail theft along the strip is declining. Shoplifting in the area fell by 12 per cent in 2025, which police say is a result of successful operations.
“We have a really good, open communication with traders … We’re listening to our stakeholders, we’re listening to the council. We’re engaging with all those people,” Swinton says.
On May 18, a dedicated online retail theft reporting system will be introduced for the southern metropolitan region, which includes Chapel Street. This will make crime reporting even more accessible for business owners, Swinton says.
But in sections of the street, traders are increasingly exasperated with the normalisation of theft from their stores. Some speculate that the reduced crime rates are because fewer people are reporting crime as they believe doing so is futile.
One store owner says there isn’t enough being done to deter criminals, and that current penalties are inadequate. Another says theft is at its worst south of Commercial Road, with major brands in the area such as Nike, Sunglasses Hut and Dan Murphy’s hit the hardest.
On ABC radio in October, Coles chief operations and supply chain officer Matt Swindells called the company’s Chapel Street supermarket a “challenge store” and identified organised theft as a serious problem.
For a while, the supermarket played opera music on a loudspeaker outside to deter would-be criminals. “It’s a piece of innovation in an attempt to fix what is a very serious problem across our stores, and particularly in Prahran,” Swindells said at the time.
An independent bottle shop manager, who didn’t want to be identified due to fears his business would be targeted, describes shoplifting in the area as “rampant”. While he says his store is smaller and more difficult to steal from, the issue is constant for the larger franchises nearby.
Alcohol accounts for more than one-third of shoplifting incidents, while other commonly stolen items include clothes, cosmetics and groceries, according to the police statistics.
“We don’t even [report stealing] any more … nothing happens about it,” the manager says. “It’s just a lost cause for us … we just chalk it up to experience and move on. And try to mitigate it.”
After dark, concern also shifts to violent crime and poor behaviour along the street. In March, a suspicious fire engulfed notorious nightclub Love Machine – which was the location of a fatal drive-by shooting in 2019.
Hoons also made headlines last July for doing burnouts along the strip. Almost 8000 hours of policing was dedicated to patrolling Chapel Street on Friday and Saturday nights last year.
But for many independent traders, it’s still business as usual. Nava Kingston has owned and operated Revolution Fashionwear for a decade – what she calls “a long time for Chapel Street”.
Kingston says theft isn’t a major problem in her store, mainly because staff have implemented measures to minimise stealing. Clothes that cost more than $40 are secured with zip-ties, and valuables are locked out the back.
“We’ve minimised [theft] a lot because there’s usually three of us on the floor. So we watch all the time. I sit there like that all the time, like a radar,” Kingston says, swivelling her head back and forth.
If something is stolen or there is a threatening customer, Kingston is sceptical about the benefit of calling police. “If I report, what’s going to happen? Nothing. So I’ve given up,” she says.
But business is booming, and the store still attracts plenty of customers. On this Tuesday, a handful of people are browsing the racks shortly after opening. Kingston puts this success down to a young customer base, good products and a social media presence.
“You can be successful anywhere if you’ve got what people want,” she says.
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