Govt's retail crime package fails to address 'crux of issue' - National

November 28, 2022
Police have said social media is contributing to a spike in ram-raids by youths.

The Government's multimillion-dollar retail crime prevention package fails to address the "crux of the issue" behind the rise in crime across the country, the National Party says.

National's police spokesperson Mark Mitchell added the package allows offenders to "operate with impunity".

The support package, announced this afternoon by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, includes a $4 million fund to support local council crime prevention programmes in Auckland, Hamilton and the Bay of Plenty.

It will also expand eligibility for the existing $6 million Retail Crime Prevention Fund to include aggravated robberies and those committed within the last year.

National's police spokesperson Mark Mitchell.

There is also a new fog cannon subsidy scheme which will see the Government provide $4000 to all small shops and dairies who wish to have the tool installed.

Mitchell said the Government is "soft on crime, and offenders can operate with impunity".

"So far this year, there have been 517 ram-raids – equivalent to one every 15 hours. Gang membership is the highest it has ever been, and violent crime is up 21%."

The shop owner said nothing was stolen but the front door has been left damaged.

Mitchell claimed that just seven businesses have benefited from the $6 million Crime Prevention Fund since it was announced in May.

"Not only is Labour completely unable to deliver on their announcements, but they aren't addressing the crux of the issue," he said.

Mitchell said it was clear from today's announcement that the Government's plan "is simply to barricade businesses further rather than enforce proper consequences.

"Until the Government toughens up, they will have to continue to fund businesses becoming more and more barricaded until our streets are unrecognisable."

Broken glass could be seen littering the inside of the business.

While Retail New Zealand called today's announcement "good news", it said more needs to be done to combat the rise in retail crime on the societal level.

"We fundamentally need to see a change across society in attitudes towards crime and violence," chief executive Greg Harford said.

"Everyone in the community needs to have a shared understanding that it's not OK to steal, threaten, assault or kill. This needs an extensive social change programme to get the message through."

Harford called for a range of initiatives to better support the sector, including training for retail workers to de-escalate violence, aggression or robberies; mental health and well-being support for workers impacted by retail crime; a programme to change attitudes towards retail crime; and specific penalties under the Crimes Act "calling out abuse and violence against retail workers".

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