Retailers in New Zealand consider bodycams due to consistent aggression
After yet another violent attack in the retail sector, industry leaders and safety managers call for bodycam programs to protect employees against rising aggression.
A wave of aggression against retail workers in New Zealand has led to a call from top executives in the industry: implement bodycams now. After many incidents of verbal abuse, aggression and last Friday’s terror attack, the time is ripe for innovative answers to employee security. The result: retailers nationwide are considering implementing their own bodycam solutions to combat the rising aggression and danger faced by retail employees.
Industry leaders call for bodycams to be implemented
Chief executive of Retail NZ, Greg Harford, who is already convinced of the need for new security systems to protect employees and highlights bodycams specifically, had this to say in response to the increasing danger faced by employees across the sector: “We have been worried about the increasing aggression that we are seeing from the public and indeed violence that has been reported in store for quite a long time. This is not going away it is getting worse, if anything.”
Aggression on the rise in New Zealand
Further violence cannot be ruled out, especially considering the fact that only recently another attack in Dunedin, NZ also left four people severely injured and the Covid lockdown had already resulted in a noticeable increase in violence and aggression against retail staff. Industries in other countries, such as the pharmacy chain Boots (U.K.) have seen a similar rise and have already implemented bodycam programs to address this issue.
To protect retail workers the industry is now seriously considering the implementation of their own bodycam systems, in order to deter aggression and provide evidence that can be used to defend employees in court. Countdown’s overall safety manager, Kiri Hannifin stated that “employees are afraid and have been shaken by the consistent aggression and intimidation that they experience on a day to day basis”. Industry leaders are therefore searching for any security tool and specifically bodycams in order to better protect their employees from the rising abuse and aggression.
