Hamilton's desperate dairy owners are appealing to the Police Commissioner to urgently provide every one of their shops with fog cannons.
Hamilton shop owners are fearing for their safety after two of their peers were brutally assaulted with weapons as thieves stole cigarettes and cash from them earlier this month, which are the latest in a spate of robberies.
Parkwood SuperValue owner Manish Thakkar said the newly set up group representing superettes, liquor stores and service stations in Hamilton and the outskirts had sent Police Commissioner Mike Bush a list of 85 retailers who wanted the fog cannons, asking him to make the Waikato a priority.
Shop owners were keen to try anything as they worried about whether the next person who entered their stores would steal or hurt them.
A fog cannon releases up to 700 cubic metres of fog within 60 seconds, making it difficult for a burglar to see, and providing confusion.