Gina Field, founder of Nepean Regional Security, spoke to CurtinFM about Bunnings’ proposal to use facial recognition in stores.
The goal is to reduce shoplifting and aggression, which Gina says is rising, with 70% of incidents from repeat offenders. She explained facial recognition differs from CCTV by alerting staff when known troublemakers enter, using advanced facial feature detection.
This technology is already used in airports and venues, but Bunnings faced backlash for not informing customers during trials. Privacy complaints and legal challenges followed, as people were unaware the AI cameras were operating in-store.
Gina believes the backlash was due to fear and confusion, and could’ve been avoided with proper signage. She supports the technology, citing Australia’s $9 billion retail crime problem, which affects both businesses and consumers. Gina says those not breaking laws shouldn’t fear the cameras if used responsibly and transparently. She criticised the court system’s leniency and stressed stronger support for frontline security workers. In her view, facial recognition is essential for safer, more secure retail environments.
