ClubsACT has expressed frustration at the rising number of armed robberies, break-ins and burglaries at licensed venues across the territory.

The group which represents the ACT Club movement has asked for a full police briefing on the response to a dozen incidents in the past three weeks.

In the latest armed robbery on Saturday, a man entered the Mawson Club on Heard Street about 2am and allegedly threatened a staff member with a shotgun and demanded cash.

The staff member handed over a quantity of cash and the offender fled the scene.

ClubsACT took to twitter to explain the frustration about a spike in attacks on licensed venues and the lack of arrests.

“Like everybody these days they (the police) seem to be under resourced,” he said.

“And it is quite concerning that we have had this increase in the number in incidents in the past three to four weeks.

“The perpetrators are starting to become more brazen and our concern is, that in the not too distant future, someone may be injured just because somebody gets carried away.”

ACT Policing said in the first three months of this year a total of 28 aggravated robberies were reported.

Kambah in Canberra’s south was the worst affected suburb according to those figures.

However, the 2015 figures have dropped from 36 aggravated robberies reported in the same three-month period in 2014.

Mr Mercer said the Mawson Club staff involved in the latest armed robbery had been left traumatised.

 

“You can imagine having a shotgun in front of them is not one of the easiest things,” he said.

“Our management team turned up as soon as they heard and have looked after the staff.

“Counselling has also been arranged for the staff and we have given them contact details of people if they want to talk to someone about what happened.”

ACT Police have appealed for witnesses to the aggravated robbery and security footage from nearby businesses.

The Mawson Club robber is described as being approximately 180 to 186 centimetres tall and of slim build.

He was wearing a dark coloured hooded jumper, dark pants, white jogging shoes and had something black and silver covering over his face.

Police are also investigating a robbery at the Statesman Hotel in Curtin on Friday night where a man threatened workers at the drive-through bottle shop with a knife.

Staff handed over cash and cigarettes to the man who stuffed the goods into a pink reusable shopping bag before running towards Theodore Street.

He left the area in the front passenger seat of a silver sedan heading towards Cotter Road.