Mount Maunganui's Doug Jarvis Butcher decides to stay open despite repeated burglaries

Tauranga butcher Doug Jarvis. Photo / Andrew Warner

A butcher who threatened to close his Mount Maunganui store after burglars targeted it multiple times is "lost for words" after the community rallied behind him.

Doug Jarvis has been in the industry for 44 years and in the past month came close to closing his Owens Place store.

There had been a spate of burglaries and thefts from the store and at another of Jarvis' in Pāpāmoa, pushing the butcher to breaking point.

"It was just horrendous for me," he said. "I hit rock bottom.

"I went as far as I could go. Not sleeping, just worried about if I'm going to get robbed again."

However, after learning of his intentions to shut the Owens Place store, the community got behind Jarvis.

Tauranga butcher Doug Jarvis. Photo / Andrew Warner

From security companies to locksmiths to people volunteering some time in the shop, anyone and everyone had been in touch, Jarvis said.

They flooded him with support in the form of phone calls, messages, emails, comments and more. He hasn't managed to get back to them all yet.

"Everything that's come through ... I'm lost for words," he said.

"I must have touched a nerve where they're all fed up with the thefts and ram raids going on.

"The community, once I said enough is enough, they rallied around it and it's just been amazing. I'm so humbled."

Jarvis hoped people would support other local businesses that were struggling.

"Local businesses, especially around here, can all relate to my situation," he said.

Last week, the Government announced $6 million towards protecting small businesses impacted by a spike in ram raids.

Police Minister Poto Williams. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Police Minister Poto Williams announced the package on Thursday, saying the funding will come from the Proceeds of Crime Fund and invested into a crime prevention programme, which will include solutions such as installing bollards.

"We have heard the concerns of the small businesses being targeted by ram raids and other offending," Williams said.

"While there has been a significant reduction in youth offending over the past decade, there has also been a recent spike in ram raids and related offending, which we urgently need to address for these business owners.

"This funding will enable police to work closely with vulnerable small retailers to identify effective and practical solutions based on the particular features of each location."

Police would also look at a range of crime and security risks each small retailer might face and other options such as fog cannons, security alarms or screens may be considered, Williams said.

The funding adds to the Government's already-record investment in police, to which Budget 2022 added more than $562m across four years.