A remote supermarket and the retail union have raised concerns about large groups of children "swarming" supermarkets, after a "distressing" incident in northern WA.
Staff at Kununurra IGA Tuckerbox were left shaken on Sunday afternoon after about 10 teenagers entered as a group, stealing drinks and confectionary and trying to break into a cigarette cabinet.
Security vision shows staff calling for help as children shake the cigarette shelf and abuse them.
The supermarket's general manager, Chris Burke, said while theft had been a problem for decades, the issue of large groups of children taking over a space and causing havoc was relatively new.
"It's quite distressing for my staff — unfortunately it's not the first time, and some of those kids have harassed those staff on previous occasions," he said.
"They just seem to be more brazen. I think they choose their times when they know we don't have a full complement of staff.
"It is scary for my staff."
Entrenched youth dysfunction
Kununurra's rates of stealing-related offences soar above many other places in regional WA, and have been trending up since a lull attributed to coronavirus in 2020.
Unsupervised children are not allowed to enter the supermarket in most circumstances in a bid to reduce theft.
Mr Burke has rejected calls from residents to install security guards, arguing the cost would be passed back onto consumers at a time of high inflation.
In recent years, Indigenous leaders in Kununurra have been trying to improve the home life of children in the town where overcrowding, domestic violence, alcohol abuse and welfare dependency are all major problems.
Mr Burke said the state government needed to work with the community to address the issue of unsupervised children harassing businesses.
"Some of these kids don't even listen to their elders — I don't believe it's just one thing that can do it," he said.
"We need to help the community, Indigenous and white, to solve these problems of this great town that we live in.
"If they can find some sort of industry then they can get the young adults [working], then the kids will see they do have a future other than Centrelink."
WA Police are investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made.
'Swarming' concerns union
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) said the Kununurra incident was emblematic of a worrying trend across the state.
"Some of the behaviour called 'swarming' by police has been on the increase," SDA WA secretary Ben Harris said.
"It must have been terrifying for the staff members involved."
The retail union is also pushing the state government to follow the lead of other states and introduce tougher penalties when retail workers are assaulted.
A government spokesperson said it acknowledged the challenges faced by retail workers and had given the matter due consideration.