Dairies across the country have closed their doors today to protest at the rising number of burglaries and to stand in solidarity after the death of Janek Patel who died in an aggravated robbery. Video / NZ Herald
Police will “sharpen their focus” on retail crime, increase patrols and include prolific offenders in an existing operation targeting gangs after the fatal stabbing of Auckland dairy worker Janak Patel.
It comes as business leaders and political opponents fear the Government’s new multi-million dollar package to reduce retail crime won’t provide immediate security or the legislative change demanded by shaken shop owners.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday announced $4 million would be split between local councils in Auckland ($2m), Hamilton ($1m) and Bay of Plenty ($1m) to match council funding for local crime prevention measures such as street lighting, CCTV cameras and bollard-esque planter boxes.
The Government would also subsidise the purchase and installation of fog cannons to the tune of $4000 for any shop owner who felt vulnerable - regardless of whether they had been previous victims of crime - something which had limited the application of crime prevention methods in the past.
Finally, the $6m Retail Crime Prevention fund - designed to support businesses hit by ram raids - will be expanded to include those who had experienced aggravated robberies.
While retail sector leaders are welcoming further investment, they are disappointed the package did not include legislative changes demanded by dairy owners who closed their doors yesterday nationwide to protest against the Government’s perceived inaction on crime.
“It’s just dealing with the symptoms of the problem rather than the underlying cause,” Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford said of the new package.
“Announcements are great but everything takes time and people are dying today,” Sandringham Business Association chairman Jithin Chittibomma said.
“What can we do today to put some brakes on this?”
Ardern, speaking from Auckland on Monday after attending Patel’s funeral on Sunday, defended her Government’s record on crime prevention, claiming it was more comprehensive than the previous National government’s and citing global supply constraints on raw materials for various security measures.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Police Minister Chris Hipkins. Photo / NZME
Ardern rejected suggestions that yesterday’s announcement was a knee-jerk reaction to Patel’s death. She opposed the politicisation of crime and said her solutions were “firm and fact-based” - a dig at National’s youth crime policy that would send 15 to 17-year-old recidivist offenders to military academies, a proposal that had drawn criticism for lacking evidence as to its efficacy.
National police spokesman Mark Mitchell and Act Party leader David Seymour both slated the announcement as not providing sufficient consequences for repeat offenders.
Patel, 34 and newly married, was fatally stabbed in an alleged aggravated robbery on Wednesday last week while he was managing the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham on behalf of the owners who were overseas.
Three men have appeared in court in relation to Patel’s death and the robbery. The Herald on Sunday revealed the 34-year-old man charged with Patel’s murder was understood to have been deported from Australia earlier this year.
In a statement, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said he recognised the impact Patel’s death had had on the business and local community.
“There is no doubt the recent tragic death of Janak Patel in Sandringham has impacted our communities, including our staff who are working hard to support retailers.”
He promised “increased foot and vehicle patrols in shopping precincts in areas where there has been an increased number of reports”.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. Photo / George Heard
Coster also confirmed a “stronger stance” would be taken against repeat adult offenders, with the extension of the gang-focused Operation Cobalt into next year, which had been set to end next month.
“In addition to our efforts to target gang criminal activity, I have instructed that Operation Cobalt be broadened to also focus on those offenders that are causing significant and repeated harm,” Coster said.
“This includes those using stolen vehicles, and threats of violence with weapons to seriously impact people’s livelihoods and sense of safety.”
Police officers were at hand yesterday to manage emotional protests by dairy owners and workers who wanted more crime prevention measures from the Government.
Through tears, he said he wanted the harshest penalty for the offender involved in his son’s alleged killing and did not want “another Janak Patel”, as the Auckland crowd chanted “enough is enough, we need justice”.
Sandringham business leader Chittibomma met with Ardern, Police Minister Chris Hipkins and Auckland councillors on the weekend to discuss potential solutions for crime-fearing business owners.
He said he identified areas where council red tape could be removed to allow the faster implementation of security measures - something Ardern referenced as an issue during her press conference yesterday.
While he appreciated the funding boost, Chittibomma believed law change was necessary to address younger criminals in particular, who he felt had become more capable of serious crime.
Sandringham Business Association chairman Jithin Chittibomma. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Harford, of Retail NZ, made similar calls for new legislation that would introduce penalties under the Crimes Act for violence against retail workers.
He also wanted the Government to invest in security training for retail staff and a “social change programme”, akin to the It’s Not OK family violence campaign.
“Everyone in the community needs to have a shared understanding that it’s not okay to steal, threaten, assault or kill. This needs an extensive social change programme to get the message through.”
He agreed crime should not become a political issue as it would detract from effective solutions.
“There’s a real issue here and it’s escalating and we need to deal with it before it gets worse.”
The Herald understood the Rose Cottage Superette had been unable to get a fog cannon as it had not satisfied the criteria of an earlier fog cannon implementation initiative that stated businesses had to have been victimised several times.
The new subsidy, however, would apply to any business that felt vulnerable, heralded by Ardern as a first for New Zealand.
Hipkins was quick to temper expectations as fog cannon instalments weren’t expected to ramp up until the second quarter of next year.
Police had ordered 455 fog cannons that should arrive before Christmas and added to the 270 already in the country and allocated to businesses.
