Shopping Mall Crime Is Rising in Australia: Can icetana AI Help?

In the last year, we’ve seen a sharp rise in shocking incidents within Australian shopping centres. From violent attacks to vehicle ram-raids, these events are raising serious questions about how well current surveillance systems are protecting public spaces.

Real Incidents, Real Threats

• Large Shopping Centre Mass Stabbing: In April 2024, a man armed with a knife killed six people and injured many more at a shopping mall in Sydney. The attack unfolded in minutes before security could respond. The tragedy highlighted a major flaw: the inability to monitor all cameras simultaneously.
• Ram-Raids Into Malls: On April 18th 2025, a stolen car drives through the Shopping Centre in Melbourne, causing shoppers to fear for their lives. 
• Rival Fight: In May 2025, a Melbourne shopping centre was locked down after a fight occurred between ‘rival groups’ fighting with knives in the food court. 

How Can AI Help?

icetana AI’s real time surveillance technology is designed for exactly these moments, when fast, unpredictable events occur and humans can’t respond in time.

Detecting Trouble in Real Time

Unlike traditional systems where operators must monitor dozens (sometimes hundreds) of camera feeds, icetana’s AI watches every camera 24/7, learning what “normal” looks like and instantly flagging anything that isn’t.

For example:

• In the Sydney incident, our current AI would have flagged people running, crowds gathering, and movement in unusual areas, all within seconds, giving security time to respond faster.
• In a ram-raid, icetana would quickly detect a vehicle driving in an unusual location and speed, arguably before it hits the glass.

Smarter Tools, Safer Spaces

Our new Triage Agent goes even further, capable of:

• Spotting risky behaviour like loitering or aggressive movement
• Spotting weapons such as knifes
• Learning and adapting to each mall’s unique layout and traffic patterns

As our CEO Kevin Brown recently shared in an interview with ABC Perth Radio:

I think the issue with the Sydney shopping mall was that there was no one in the security centre watching. I think this might have been part of the issue. So what our software does is it finds a and escalates it and gets it in front of the team without them, necessarily having to watch all the cameras.

From Perth to the World

icetana AI started as a university project at Curtin University in Perth. Today, we’re used in malls, hospitals, casinos, and even prisons, across Japan, the USA, the Middle East, and now increasingly in Australia.

As security challenges grow, the need for smarter, proactive solutions is clear.

The Bottom Line

With crime in malls on the rise, it’s no longer enough to watch footage after an event has already happened. We need systems that can detect threats as they unfold, and help stop them in their tracks.

That’s what icetana AI does, using AI to keep people safe.