Francesca Rudkin: Are we really doing enough to tackle retail crime?

Some good news and some not-so-good news for retail crime.  

Let’s start with the good news – it’s Monday after all.  

Police data reveals that the figures are down for burglaries in Auckland.  

They are also down for abductions.  

Ram raids have continued to trend down to the lowest number of 15  percent in April this year compared to a high of 86 percent in 2022.  Maybe those bollards and interventions have worked their magic and made it less fun to video a car crashing into shop, or maybe boot camp doesn’t sound like a great way to spend 3 months.  

But the Dairy and Business Owners’ Group is still very concerned about the statistics because we have seen an increase in acts that are likely to cause injury – they are up 4 percent.  

On the rise, we have assaults, sexual assault, robbery, and theft.  

And the retail sector is paying the price for this.  

The owner of a South Auckland 24/7 diary is feeling helpless and scared after being robbed twice in the last week. Having fog cannons and panic alarms didn’t deter the robbers – who were targeting the till, cigarettes and vapes.  

Also, just recently a security guard was bashed in the head with a hammer by armed assailants during a robbery of a jewellery store, and the owner of another jewellery store in South Auckland suffered a skull fracture and cuts after teenage robbers used a hammer and knife to stab him.  

It’s clear to see why retail workers are still scared to go to work and do their jobs.  

In July, the Coalition Government announced they were establishing a Ministry Advisory Group for the victims of crime as part of its plan to restore law and order- they want this group of business owners, retail experts, and advocacy groups to provide the Government specific proposals to address urgent challenges in retail crime – over the next two years.  

The intention is that this group will help ensure there are 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029 and reduce serious youth offending by 15 percent. 

Sounds great. A good step forward. But what about today? What about the worker who has to go to work in the 24/7 dairy tonight?  

Auckland’s CBD has been crying out for more police on the streets to make the inner city safe again and crack down on violence and antisocial behaviour – and the police have responded. It’s great to see cops walking the streets – being part of the community. Their presence is reassuring.  

But what about other areas of Auckland – do we have enough police to make all neighbourhoods feel that same sense of security?

So what do we do about retail crime? We have a group that will kick into gear at some point with some new suggestions. We have put physical deterrents into shops and shopping areas. We have more cops out on the street in certain areas. We have a government that is keen on real consequences to crime – stronger sentences for convicted criminals.  

But is this enough? What is it going to take to stop there being around 11 assaults every day? Life isn’t getting any easier out there for some people - times are still tough. Hopefully, some of these solutions will have an impact long term – but is there anything left that we could do short term to solve this issue? Because you should be able to go to work in the morning, and not worry about someone coming at you with a hammer.  

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