Waikato Police arrest eight teens fleeing after ram-raiding a gas station. Video / Jaden Sullivan
Police, Michael Hill International, New Zealand’s biggest shopping centre owner and other national retailers have banded together in an anti-ram raid crackdown.
John Yates, security director of ASX-listed shopping centre owner Scentre Group which owns Westfield malls, said a new retail security roundtable had been established in November.
More than20 representatives from 14 businesses were in the group which is growing, said Yates, the roundtable’s chairman.
He said what started out as a small collective of businesses had expanded to represent the broader retail community.
Representatives from Countdown, Spark, Kmart, One NZ [previously Vodafone], Auckland Airport, Glassons, James Pascoe Group, Mitre 10, Smith & Caughey’s, Kiwi Property Group, Farmers Trading Company, the Newmarket Business Association, Red Badge Group, Auror, Platform 4, Nextro and Travel Money are also in the group.
Intelligence sharing, training and education of staff, community awareness and enhancing technology were some of the measures group members are using to fight crimes but no more was revealed about anti-ram raid measures and precisely what the shops are doing to stop it.
Scentre Group, which owns Westfield malls, has banded together with national retailers and police to combat crime. Photo / Jason Oxenham
“It has been pleasing to see the openness and willingness from all participants to get underneath the issues driving retail crime and offering their time, resources and capabilities to explore solutions. The progress we’re making as a collective is invaluable,” Yates said.
Matt Tierney, manager of the police national retail investigation support unit, said co-operation was necessary and the group was important.
“Retail crime costs the sector a significant amount as well as having a detrimental impact on our retail communities and the staff confronted with crime when they are working,” Tierney said.
“Our collaboration with Scentre Group and other retail and property industry leaders is one of the numerous relationships police has across the country with the retail sector,” he said.
The roundtable had already been a highly productive initiative and the police were looking forward to continuing participation on a regular basis.
“It’s really important that we are in touch with our communities,” Tierney said, citing realities faced by retailers in fighting crime.
Police at the scene of a reported ram-raid at Michael Hill Jeweller in Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Michael Bell, national retail manager in New Zealand for Michael Hill Jewellers, said the new group aimed to help shops and their staff to redress crime.
“The initiative led by Scentre Group to bring together landlords, security providers, like-minded retailers and the New Zealand Police expertise has proven invaluable to Michael Hill in its efforts to protect team members and valued customers,” Bell said.
“The ability to share experiences and best practice in such a collaborative forum has greatly assisted Michael Hill’s efforts to deter and protect its people and stories from the disappointing pattern of criminal activity,” he said.
The group’s next meeting is later this month at Westfield Newmarket.
Last month, the Herald reported ram raids climbing to an average of more than two a day, prompting an Auckland judge to say the public and the police “are fed up with it”.
Police figures show there were at least 388 “ram raid style events” in a six-month period to the end of May, including 99 that remained unsolved.
During that six-month period, police said there were 218 prosecutions for ram raids, while 86 young people were referred to Police Youth Services.
Last year, police recorded 516 ram raids nationally.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
