The spectre of ongoing ram raids and robberies are leaving dairy owners feeling “unsafe” in their Hawke’s Bay communities.
A car smashed through the glass door of a Napier dairy in September, just one day before the owner’s family holiday to Fiji.
Five young people ran in, taking away an empty cash register and a few packets of Tim Tams.
Their venture gained nothing but caused thousands of dollars in damage for the owners.
Days later, another dairy just 400 metres away was also ram raided.
The owners living upstairs were too scared to confront the intruders.
So how are Hawke’s Bay dairy owners coping?
Local Focus visited 12 dairy owners in Napier and Hastings, but only four would talk on camera.
Many are worried they could be targeted if they speak publicly.
Randeep Singh runs the Latham Street Superette in Napier. He says he is lucky that his dairy hasn’t had any trouble so far.
“We are well connected with the community, but you never know when it’s going to come to you. So we do feel unsafe here,” he said.
It’s the same with Baljit Singh, Deco City Corner Store’s owner, who said he felt safe right now but didn’t know about tomorrow.
Rajvir Kaur’s parents have owned Flaxmere Dairy for 16 years. She has grown up in this dairy and is now in charge of it, often working alone.
“I feel safe because then I never have trouble. The community is really good. They look after us,” she said.
John Zhao’s Arkwrights Corner Store was not so lucky. It has been robbed twice in the past five years.
“Three guys with knives were trying to rob all the cigarettes from the shop. And I beat them off. And at that time, we got a small amount of damage, but it was still scary,” he said.
Other dairy owners declined to talk on camera because they’re still living in terror.
“Four underage kids came and tried to rob the shop,” said one dairy owner who did not want to be identified.
“They dropped me down on the ground. One of them was holding my nose.
“Somebody is holding on to your breath. You feel like this is my end. I’m going to die. You have so many thoughts going on, and you are scared.”
She was holding her phone and dialled a random number. The intruders thought she was calling the police so they ran away with stolen cigarettes.
The police caught the four teenage offenders who ended up in The Youth Court.
“I later found out that they only got community service after even doing such a thing,” the dairy owner said. “I could say it was an attempt to murder. They could have tried killing me. I would have died.”
The recent death of Auckland dairy worker Janak Patel has brought the issue of dairy owners’ safety into sharp focus. And despite the recent announcement of government assistance to prevent retail crime, these owners say more needs to be done.
“The reason we’ve been targeted is because of our cigarettes,” Zhao said. “I think the government put too much tax on cigarettes, and people cannot afford them.”
Singh suggested that the local council should install more security cameras and more police surveillance around the areas.
Kaur believes “the police should make sure that they come in time when we need help.”
Many dairy owners are installing security cameras and fog cannons.
Frimley Four Square has placed three giant concrete blocks in front of the store after being the victim of three ram raids.
While child psychologists recognise that teenagers are biologically more likely to take risks without thinking through the consequences, these dairy owners want harsher penalties.
“If you commit a crime and are underage, you will get away easily. Even if they’ve stolen thousands of dollars of smokes or anything, the punishment is community service. What about the shopkeepers? They are just going to be traumatised.”
