Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Subway Branch Manager David Lissimore says he's finding it hard to find staff to work at night after 2 of his stores were targeted by youths this week

Transcript

Subway Branch Manager David Lissimore says he's finding it hard to find staff to work at night after 2 of his stores were targeted by youths this week · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Good morning, Katie. How are you? Yeah?
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Good, thank you? Sorry, just me having some technical issues
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: there now, David, sometimes I forget to press the right buttons. Now,
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: I know that you oversee subway stores at Marra and
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: also bake well, and you're really calling on members of
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory files government right now to do more
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: about the damage that's been caused by kids after having
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: another glass panel smashed at your Marara location.
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: Was that overnight?
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: I yes, it was. You had about midnight last night,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: and it comes about a week or so after we
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: had two other panels smashed in after. Yeah, we had
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: a few kids in the store tryning of skilled drinks
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: and once a member of public had sort of confronted
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: these kids, they pulled out knives and scissors and started
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: throwing chairs around and threw some scooters at the glass.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: And yeah, it has not been not been a good
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: week for me.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: That sounds bloody frightening. It is.
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean I wasn't there at the time, but
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: it makes my blood boil. When when I heard the news,
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: you know, I just stopped what I was doing to
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: make sure the staff were okay. You know, that's obviously
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: the priority. The staff and the customers one hundred percent.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: But you know, it's just makes me furious to know that,
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: you know, these kids had ankle bracelets on, they had
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: issues in the past, you know, they recently, they they
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: shouldn't have even you know, they should have been a
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: lot more monitored than what they were.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, mate, firstly, can I ask in the incident where
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: there was knives and scissors, was that overnight or was
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: that the one last week?
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: No, that was the one. It was a week or
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: so ago. Now, yeah, it was sort of five pm
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: in the afternoon, just when we start building for you know,
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: dinner rush. There's kids about people picking up groceries. You know,
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: it's it's a very busy store.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: Wow, are your staff okay? Following on from.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: That, they are, yeah, obviously very shaken. You know, a
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: couple of them now have some concerns about working at
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: night and staffing issues that are terrible as it is.
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: And now you know, understandably too those stuff, you know,
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: don't want to be working there at night time, and
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: thank god it's a busy store. We generally have three
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: people on, you know, mostly for safety too. But I
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: understand them completely that they wouldn't want to work at
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: night time.
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: Oh, I'd be frightened as well. That's unbelievable now you
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: said that, you know, it appears like it was kids
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: who obviously you know, it's kids who've obviously been involved
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: in these incidents. Is that the case from last night
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: as well?
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: We're not too sure yet. We're waiting on CCTV from
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: the shopping center that more covers the outside of those windows,
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: because they didn't actually get in the building, so my
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: cameras sort of start where the building is. But we
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: are upgrading the system as well now to incorporate outside.
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: But yeah, it's far as we know, it's we believe
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: it's the same kids. But I I don't know.
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: David, what happened then last night? So did they smash
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: the window panes?
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah, they just smashed the window panes, no intention really
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: to get in. I don't believe they used the rock
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: last night. You know, quite thick glass. We're talking six
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: millimeters six safety glass, double glazed with pinting on the inside,
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: so not not easy feat to smash that up. Yeah, So,
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: and that just that was last night around midnight. But
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: they didn't manage to get in, which which was good.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: But the thing that these kids seem to be after
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: is always just to do the damage they once they
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: if they get inside the store, they very rarely take
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: anything they've We've never had money stolen. Ever, we don't
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: leave any money around. They might take a couple of
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: drinks on the odd occasion out of the fridge, but
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: their main motivator is just to disroy, you know, and
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: make inconvenience to people. It's and it's just getting very
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: very tiring, you know, waking up at four o'clock in
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: the morning and send these calls when when I'm you know,
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: I'm doing large, large numbers of hours just to get
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: things by and keep subways open for Darlin and.
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, but then also you know the damage. You know,
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: it's an emotional stress, but there is also the damage
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: that's being caused as well.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: How much do you reckon you know that this is.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: Cost well, I mean obviously we took every precaution when
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: we had those because glass bottles were thrown around the
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: store on that on that day a week or so ago, yep,
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  Speaker 1: So you know, obviously we had to throw out all
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: the food. Yeah, we had to close the store while
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: we cleaned up. We couldn't allow people into the restaurant
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: with broken glass everywhere. So adding that cost in as well,
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: we're looking at between thirteen and fifteen thousand dollars, you know, total,
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: including last night's damage. And it's getting to the point
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: where insurance companies you know, won't be talking to us anymore.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: We won't be able to ensure it anymore, and we
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: can't stay much longer, if that's okay?
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: No, David, correct me if I'm wrong.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: You know, I may have my shopping centers confused, But
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: are you talking about the shopping center where the member
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: for Sanders and Kate Warden's office is actually located as well?
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: Correct? So two shots down inside the actual center behind
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: shutters as well, that's since recently fitted shutters. Yeah, so
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: that's on the card for us. It's the fit shutters
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: as well. But no, she's protected in there, so she's okay.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: Have you had any discussion with her with the local
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: member about what's gone on? And you know what's the
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: response made?
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: I haven't. No. I would have thought that she would have,
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: you know, come forward, especially being so close, she would
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: have approached me, you know, to sort of talk about it,
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: and but no, I haven't. I haven't heard anything that.
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: I haven't made any connection either.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: Have you been in contact with the Chief Finister's office
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: at this point in time, you know, following on from
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: what's going on, or do you intend.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: To I did speak to a gentleman on Friday, I
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: can't remember his name now. He was going to call
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: me and meet me there on Monday, which was yesterday. However,
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: I didn't hear anything back, and I waited for a
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: couple of hours nobody showed.
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: So from what I can gather, you know, on what
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: you'd posted on social media as well, it does seem
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: as though you're at your wits end. You know, it's
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: actually been something that's happened now a few times. You're
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: certainly not speaking to the media lightly or frivolously, but
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: you really it sounds like you're not too sure what
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: to do now at this point.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: That's it. I don't know what to do. I mean,
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: I look after six s Boy stores here in Darlin,
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: and you know we're soon to open a seventh, and
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: we're on the fence now about whether we should be
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: doing that or pulling out of Darwin entirely. It's very
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: uncertain times. We don't particularly want to be here.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: Oh, mate, I hope that you don't pull out of
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: Darwin because I know that, you know, there are so
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: many territories that obviously come to you guys for their lunch,
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: their dinner, and there's lots of locals that you employ
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: as well, which I think is so incredibly important. The
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: Chief Minister's been out this morning making a few announcements,
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: you know. In what she has said is focused on
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: creating safer communities and initiatives aimed at preventing crime and
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: anti social behavior. One of those does include some changes
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: to this Beer Secure their be Secure upgrades. David, I
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: don't know whether you've heard much about the announcement that's
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: been made this morning, but do you feel as oh,
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: it's going to make much of a difference.
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure, Katie, I actually haven't. I haven't seen
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: that yet. I've heard that it was some things were announced,
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: but I'm not sure what's what's involves yet.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: Mate. For you, you know, I know that there are a
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: lot of businesses that are very frustrated right now when
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: it comes to the issues that we're seeing in the community.
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: What is your message for the government this morning.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: I think there's just got to be a better solution.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's quite obvious now after four or five
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: years i've been in Dulin that things aren't working, and
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: I mean, I just it's probably a lot more complicated
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: than this, but I mean we've got staff shortages all
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: over the place. We've got you know, fruit pickers and
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: all sorts of issues with staffing with them, and I
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: just think it'd be quite an obvious solution, you know,
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: to send them out to places like that where they
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: can't cause any damage. They can't you know, they have
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: to learn correct work ethics, you know. But again there
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: must be a reason. I'm not in politics. It mustn't
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: be that simple. But I just think that something needs
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: to be done differently. If you keep doing the same
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: thing over and over, that's the definition of insanity, isn't it.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: Well, And if it's not working, you know, you sort
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: of go, what can we start doing a bit differently?
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: We've got to think outside the box exactly, right, mate.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: I really appreciate your time this morning. I'm sorry to
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: hear what's happened to you guys, not just last night,
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: but certainly you know, in the week's leading up as well,
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: particularly that incident where your staff were threatened with knives
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: and scissors. That is incredibly frightening. Yeah, look, we'll keep
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: onto the issue. I hope that we can see some
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: change in this space.
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely. And I mean we've had issues all over stores.
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: We've had these kids pushcash for just as off counters.
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: In Gateway Shopping Center, we've had people jumping the counter
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: stealing drinks. And Gateway Shopping Center we've had you know,
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: we just had an incident yesterday afternoon where a girl
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: had a scooter sort of swung at her. One of
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: my staff had a scooter swung at her because she
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: was interrupting them stealing drinks, you know, from the Bakewell store.
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: And there's issues all over. The only places we don't
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: have issues are cooler Linger and it's probably because they
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: can't get out there.
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it is a real worry, there is no doubt
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: about it. And something really does need to change. Particularly
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: you know, we're talking about enticing people to the Northern
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: Territory to live. We're trying to get people to move
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: here for work for various different industries. You know, if
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: you don't feel safe and if you don't feel like
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: you can run a business in a safe manner. It
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: makes it really difficult to try to build the population
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: and to try and get people here to fill jobs.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, yeah, absolutely. I mean if I was looking, I've
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: moved up here four years ago, and if I knew
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: what was going on up here, I would have stayed
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: in Queensland.
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, David, I feel for you, mate. I really appreciate
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: you speaking to me this morning. Yeah, thank you so
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: much for your time.
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: I really appreciate it.
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: No problems, Thanks Katie.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: Thanks David. That is David.
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: Listenmore from He oversees subway stores of course at Marra
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: and also bake well six of them, he said, due
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: to open a seventh and they have been really grappling
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: with this issue, as you've just heard from Davi.