Zoe Hunter: There is no justification for robbing the local dairy

There's no excuse for stealing from hardworking retailers, writes Zoe Hunter. Photo / 123RF

OPINION

Imagine going to work every day feeling scared of what might happen next.

Every time someone new walks in, you don’t know if they are good or bad.

It sounds like a living nightmare.

But it is what some Bay of Plenty dairy owners are experiencing daily.

This week, we spoke to owners of Bay stores hit repeatedly by thieves who say they feel helpless and scared at work.

They say thieves are targeting eggs, butter, bacon, chocolate, tinned food, or anything they can fit in their pockets.

Retail crime has doubled in the region over the last five years, new figures show, and store owners have simply had enough.

And they are frustrated by a perceived lack of punishment for young offenders who they say seem to be mocking the system and just “doing it for fun”.

The police district data released by National Party police spokesman Mark Mitchell on Sunday showed the number of reported incidents of retail crime in the Bay was 33 per cent higher in 2022 than in 2021.

Between 2018 and 2022, incidents in the region jumped a whopping 103 per cent.

This is a big figure and one that Retail NZ boss Greg Harford called “sobering”.

Surely, it signals something needs to be done and now.

What is being targeted appears to be everyday shopping list items. Some store owners say it is the rising inflation and people are becoming desperate.

Others say younger thieves are doing it just for fun because they can get away with it.

It is those with that belief that say the laws are too soft and adult crimes should be given adult punishment.

I agree. No one deserves to go to work scared or have their hard-earned money ripped from their pockets.

Stuart Nash — who yesterday resigned as Police Minister — responded to criticism about retail crime figures earlier this week by saying there were more police on the streets and reporting retail crime had been made easier, and Government support for crime-hit retailers was making a difference.

But, in my opinion, twice the amount of retail crime in the last five years shows it’s not making a difference.

“Significant progress” in delivering protective equipment and extra prevention advice for retailers who’ve fallen victim to ram-raid style burglaries or aggravated robberies is just not cutting the mustard.

It is a start, but now-acting Police Minister, Megan Woods — or whoever gets the permanent role — needs to make sure more is done, and faster, to support our retailers from feeling like they have to take matters into their own hands.

Dairies are the heart of many communities and they are calling out for support.

The cost of living is climbing and it is hard for everybody. But it doesn’t give anyone the right to steal.

There are too many support networks out there to justify stealing from local stores.