Dairy owners in Whangarei often targeted by armed robbers have called on police to show urgency to their cases, including an incident where a shop owner claimed officers weren't interested when suspicious activity was reported minutes before an aggravated robbery.
About 20 dairy owners met National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and party candidate Dr Shane Reti in Whangarei on Monday to highlight what they term as police inaction to the many cases of aggravated robbery over the years.
Among those present was the owner of Ye Korner Dairy and Takeaways in Crawford Cres, Kamo, who was robbed just over a week ago, and said he didn't want any other dairy owner to go through what happened to him and his family.
He was hit across the head with a crowbar by a robber as he tried to protect his wife and young child.
The businessman, who didn't want to be named, said his neighbour rang 111 three times prior to the robbery to report suspicious behaviour outside his dairy.