Chris Hipkins meets with Dairy Owners' Group over retail crime. Video / NZ Herald
Dairy owners are feeling scared, stressed and vulnerable against youths committing brazen attacks on their stores, but have been told by the Police Minister not to resort to vigilantism.
In a meeting between Police Minister Chris Hipkins and the Dairy and Business Owners Group today, chairman Sunny Kaushal said they were disappointed they hadn't been promised the right to defend themselves, their staff and their stock from thieves.
"The Government needs to understand the pain, trauma and destruction that businesses are facing every day," Kaushal told the Herald.
Hipkins admitted there had been an "escalating pattern of youth offending", specifically in the upper North Island, but stopped short of calling the recent spate of ram raids and smash and grabs a crime emergency.
Hipkins admonished the idea dairy owners could have a right to self-defence, as the Government didn't want to see an escalation of violence. Photo / NZME
The median age of those identified or caught across 129 ram raids since May this year, was just 15.
Kaushal said, "it was a very cordial meeting. It was about getting the Government to understand the reality. I made it clear we need urgent action and solutions, not just empathy for the victims."
The two discussed the $6 million Crime Prevention Fund, which was set up in May to provide small businesses with money needed to install security features like bollards, roller doors and fog cannons.
It added to the Government's investment in Police, to which Budget 22 added over $562 million over four years.
The support was to be managed by police and distributed to businesses who expressed interest, but it has only supported seven businesses so far.
Kaushal said the fund was "too little, too late", and that the Government never listened to the group's ideas for the fund.
"The Government needs to understand the pain, trauma and destruction that businesses are facing every day," Kaushal told the Herald. Photo / NZME
Business owners didn't know how to access the fund either, Kaushal said. "[Hipkins] said they put on the website that businesses can put expression of interest. No one told us that. We represent 5000 businesses but we didn't know how to help them apply for this funding.
"There was clearly a communication breakdown, and [Hipkins] accepted that."
Hipkins admitted the rollout of funding had been too slow. He said increasing the reach of the fund had been his priority before allocating more money.
National's spokesman for police Mark Mitchell criticised the slow rollout of the Crime Prevention Fund and the promise it would reduce crime.
Dairy owner Mahmoud Harden blames the recent spate of robberies on the justice system, which he believes can't hold people to account.
Hardan's central city shop on Quay St was robbed for the eighth time in the past 18 months on Sunday evening. His Mission Bay store was targeted among others on the following night.
Dairy owner Mahmoud Harden blames the recent spate of robberies on the justice system, which he believes can't hold people to account. Photo / NZME
"Police can't do anything. Put a thousand police in the city, but they're not going to help you."
Kaushal said the country's self-defence laws needed to be brought in line with Australia's. He wanted the term to be better defined to allow dairy owners to protect themselves and their businesses.
"If we try to protect ourselves we get charged, and if we don't we get stabbed, so it's a serious issue."
He said retailers should be allowed to use reasonable force against an attack, whether that be "a hockey stick, pepper spray or tasers."
Kaushal said self-defence was a human instinct: "If someone is getting attacked [by an] animal, you try to save yourself, it's our fundamental right as human beings."
Hipkins admonished the idea, as the Government didn't want to see an escalation of violence.
"The Minister really disappointed us, as he does not agree we should be able to defend ourselves with reasonable force against an attack."
Kaushal said the Government had been "too lenient" and needed to "get tough on crime" in the face of offenders who "have no fear of law, police or consequences".
A 'broken window approach' was raised with Hipkins. Drawing similarities to the recently repealed three-strikes law, the approach meant police focused on petty and minor crimes - which in theory led or was linked to more serious crimes.
But Hipkins said "tough on crime" rhetoric didn't always work as intended as young people could become "hardened criminals" when put through the criminal justice system.
"We're not going to give up, we will hold the Government accountable." Photo / NZME
"We want to actually take the heat out of this issue, we want there to be fewer ram raids and businesses becoming victims in the first place," Hipkins said.
Instead, Hipkins said the pattern of youth offending needed to be broken through intervention programmes.
Kaushal asked the Minister for other changes, including having CCTV cameras capable of facial recognition and access to shared number plate recognition systems. The presence of homeless people and beggars was also a concern for the group.
Hipkins agreed to look into those solutions among others, Kaushal said.
