Retail Crime in New Zealand Remains Rampant Despite Government Measures

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As New Zealand continues to endure a retail crime wave, some small business owners have criticised the central government’s latest measures for security fog cannons which they say is doing nothing to address the root issue.

An anti-theft device, the fog cannons work by releasing an immediate cloud of fog, making it much more difficult for criminals to see and navigate their way around the shop, hindering stealing.

Ash Parmar, the owner of a New Zealand liquor store, said the fog cannons required a person to activate them, so they weren’t functional against burglary in the middle of the night.

“If it’s a ram-raid, most of the fog cannons available to small retailers are not sophisticated ones,” he told 1News’ Breakfast program.

“The fog cannons work, but it’s not the only thing you need, it’s not that lightning strike that will give you some kind of protection in the shop.”

Parmar warned that many small business owners were looking to sell and get out of the industry due to the ongoing retail crime wave, which suddenly spiked during COVID-19.

“Every dairy owner, every liquor store owner, wants to get out of the business, that’s just the reality of retail in New Zealand currently,” he said.

It comes after Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced an additional $11 million (US$6.6 million) in funding to the fog cannon subsidy to help small businesses against ram raids.

The scheme was extended following “incredibly positive” feedback since its introduction in November.

“Small retailers continue to tell us that the scheme is working well and that they feel safer knowing that they are better protected against things like ram raids and burglary. We have seen this in the increase in demand for fog cannons from retailers,” Hipkins told reporters in a post-cabinet press conference on May 29.

The central Labour government has also rolled out bollard and security alarm installations for small businesses as protections against ram raids.

However, the opposition National Party has again criticised Labour for a “soft-on-crime” approach.

“Criminals are quickly adapting their tactics to new countermeasures. Until this government starts getting tougher on crime, simply throwing millions of dollars at fog cannons will not solve the problem,” National’s police spokesperson Mark Mitchell said.

According to the government, 582 fog cannons have been installed under the scheme thus far, with another 1,664 applications already approved.

Hipkins, who briefly held the police minister portfolio under former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, acknowledged that the current spike in retail crime was “utterly unacceptable.”

The most recent police data on retail crime outlined how the number of ram raids has exploded by nearly six times.

Prior to COVID-19, the number of ram raid incidents remained relatively stable, with 161 incidents recorded in 2020. This jumped to 463 in 2021 and jumped again to 891 in 2022. There have been 244 incidents recorded so far in 2023 up until April.

The majority are being committed by youth offenders.

This type of crime is costing the country $1 billion a year and has a significant individual impact on those in the industry, the police said.

“I want to acknowledge the level of concern amongst our small business community. It isn’t acceptable, the level of retail crime that we have seen. We’ve got to tackle this from both ends,” Hipkins said.

In 2022, the Ardern government argued against punishing youth offenders through the criminal justice system because it often sets up the person for a life of crime.

The former prime minister said consequences to young offenders had been given through non-court action, and offenders aged 15 and over can still be brought before the court.

But the National and ACT parties have consistently criticised the Labour government for the lack of serious consequences given to youth offenders, which they argue has emboldened young people to carry out crimes.

ACT police spokesperson Chris Baillie said New Zealand had a “serious problem” that came back to values.

“This government is doing everything it can to avoid acknowledging that criminals are bad people who need to be behind bars to keep New Zealanders safe,” he said.

“This is the same government who set a goal of reducing the number of people behind bars by 30 percent. Now we’re seeing the consequences.”

Mitchell reaffirmed the National’s plan to set up a military academy in partnership with the defence force to provide discipline, mentoring, and intensive rehabilitation for youth offenders aged 15 to 17.

Serious repeat offenders will be sent to the military academy or be subject to electronic monitoring or intensive supervision.