A fog cannon demonstration at the Michael Hill store in Lynn Mall. Video / NZ Herald
Police Minister and Napier MP Stuart Nash’s return to the job has coincided with a step forward in the fog cannon scheme for beleaguered businesses.
Applications open today for firms wanting to get the $4000 subsidy for fog cannons.
“Already there have been almost 300 retailers who have expressed aninterest through MBIE in drawing on the subsidy to install the equipment,” Nash said today.
The scheme is a response to retail crime and a wave of ram-raids, especially in Auckland, where some firms have been struck multiple times.
Businesses do not have to be victims of ram-raids or aggravated burglaries to get the fog cannon subsidy.
But they must have no more than two outlets, and five or fewer paid employees.
“My immediate priority is to get around the country to talk to frontline police again about ways to keep supporting them,” Nash added.
He said police were in a strong position in many ways, making inroads regarding gang offending and organised crime and responding to natural disasters and emergencies like the Auckland floods.
Nash also said police had made strides in rolling out frontline constables and helping communities and businesses respond to youth crime and prevent family harm.
But his main political adversary, National’s police spokesman Mark Mitchell, said Nash was “living on a different planet” already.
“The one thing he is right about is our frontline police officers are working as hard as they ever have.”
National's police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says Labour is out of touch with the crime issues affecting most Kiwis. Photo / Jed Bradley
Mitchell today said police were frequently stretched to breaking point, dealing with everything from a rise in gang activity to mental health callouts.
He said the fog cannon scheme was too little, too late.
“It’s putting a band-aid on the problem.”
Mitchell said some retailers had been desperate to fortify their properties for some time.
His office said a 500 per cent increase in ram-raids had happened since 2018. The data was reached by comparing the first half of 2018 to the first half of last year.
National said ram-raids last year happened, on average, once every 15 hours.
Mitchell said another indicator of increased lawlessness was the Salvation Army State of the Nation report last year showing an increase of 21 per cent in violent crime since 2017, when Labour took over.
He said the Labour Cabinet was detached from reality and living “in la-la land”.
The illicit trade in methamphetamine is a major source of revenue for some gangs.
Mitchell said organised crime had at times infiltrated ports and airports, and a multi-agency approach was needed to starve gangs of meth revenue.
But he said gang membership has increased about twice as fast as the police muster.
Nash was Labour’s police spokesman in Opposition, then minister for three years.
His replacement, Poto Williams, sometimes had a hard time with the portfolio and came under frequent attack in Parliament from Mitchell.
Recognising the severity of the issue and the importance of crime policy to National’s strategy, former PM Jacinda Ardern shuffled Williams out of the job and gave it to Labour’s “Mr Fix-It” Chris Hipkins, who is now Prime Minister.
Nash returned to the job in Hipkins’ reshuffle this week.
His first official duty as Police Minister will be to attend the graduation ceremony for 54 new constables at the police college in Porirua tomorrow alongside Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.
