Scentre Group reveals major plan for stab-proof vests across Australia following shopping centre knife scares

Shopping centre security guards have added stab-proof vests to their uniforms at a Westfield facility following a spate of knife incidents across the country.

Security guards at Westfield Innaloo were seen wearing the vests on Saturday after a dramatic knife scare at another Westfield less than 24 hours ago.

A spokesperson from Scentre Group, who manage Westfield Centres across Australia, responded following the incident and said the vests would be rolled out across Australia.

“The safety of our customers, business partners and people is our highest priority,” the spokesperson said.

“Scentre Group continues to work closely with local police at all its Westfield destinations and is operating with increased levels of security across the portfolio.

“This includes the introduction of security vests which we are rolling out expeditiously across the portfolio. We have sourced the security vests from global markets as the volumes we require were not available in Australia.”

The latest incident unfolded at Westfield Carousel on Friday afternoon when it was plunged into lockdown after an altercation broke out between several men at about 3.30pm.

Police initially said a 20-year-old male victim had been slashed in the face with a knife during the scuffle.

But police confirmed on Saturday a 16-year-old boy — who had been armed with a knife but had not used it — had been charged over the incident.

The knife was not used to injure anyone, police said, and the 20-year-old man who was victim to the attack was wounded after being punched in the face. The knife was secured and seized at the scene.

The terrifying incident comes one month after the mass stabbing at Westfield Bondi Junction on April 13 in which six people were killed and several more injured, including a nine-month-old baby.

Stab-proof vests have since been added to security guards’ uniforms at Westfield Bondi Junction.