Napier: Business owner loses $30k in six burglaries in two months

Harry van der Zanden at his mobile coffee and bike repair service store at Marewa shops. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Harry van der Zanden felt like he was creating his dream job when he started his new business in Napier.

Now he feels like he’s in a nightmare.

Van der Zanden says he has been hit by six burglaries in just two months.

He says the cost of losing the goods and repairing the damage the burglars leave behind has cost him $30,000 so far, and also his peace of mind.

His business, Pedalista, is a mobile coffee and bike repair service based in a shared garage out the back of the Marewa shopping centre.

Van der Zanden says he’s exhausted, anxious, and unsure if he can keep going.

“They’ve stolen anything that they can get their hands on,” he said of those targeting his store.

“It’s not just the financial hit, it’s the mental toll. I can’t sleep ... I’m too scared to open my doors.”

He says the burglaries began shortly after he started operating and have continued since – with tools, bikes and accessories taken, some of which belong to customers.

He now has to bring all his tools home each night.

“It’s just not viable to leave anything here anymore,” van der Zanden said.

After two weeks off for a “mental health leave” while helping his father recover from surgery in his hometown in Whakatāne, he returned to Hawke’s Bay, only to be hit again.

“The day that I got back, someone came in a balaclava with his hat on, with a hoodie ... I’ve got him on camera,” he said of the latest incident at 3am on Sunday June 22.

Van der Zanden said he feels like help has been minimal.

“We’ve invested in cameras, but police response is either delayed, dismissive, or absent.”

A screenshot from a security camera after a break-in on May 29 at Pedalista, in the Marewa shops.

He says other business owners in the area are “shocked” by the frequency and severity of the break-ins.

“They’ve been saying, ‘we’re getting broken into every now and again, but nothing to this scale’.”

Hawke’s Bay area prevention manager Inspector Caroline Martin said police were aware of recent retail burglaries in the Marewa shopping area in Napier.

“Police investigations were able to recover one of the stolen bikes and have identified a person of interest.

“The victim has been updated on these developments by police.”

Martin said there had been no considerable increase in reported burglaries in the area.

Police continued to explore multiple avenues of enquiry including reviewing CCTV and working with victims and the community on crime prevention, she said.

“We encourage all property owners to look at what they can do to deter criminals.

“Simple measures can have a big effect as many offenders are looking for easy targets,” Martin said.

“These measures include installing CCTV, securing windows, and reviewing locking mechanisms on buildings to ensure they can’t be easily broken.”

Van der Zanden said the business was supposed to be his “ideal job”.

“I was so excited to create something I was proud of, it feels like a defeat to let it go, but from a business perspective, closing is the best choice,” he said.

“I literally can’t operate here. I don’t feel safe, thinking when I’m just going to get broken into again. I can’t afford it.”

Harry van der Zanden at his bike repair business at Marewa shops. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Retail crime is a constant topic of conversation among retailers in Marewa.

A staff member at the 1,2,3 Plus store, Joy Chun, says she has witnessed countless shoplifting incidents.

“They often come and steal small things ... We got a trespass, but we don’t always report it to police,” she told Hawke’s Bay Today.

“I don’t feel safe when I need to go outside the store.”

Beauty and the Barbers’ business owner, Ramanjit Parihar, said although her shop had not been a target, she was aware of many break-ins in the area and feared her business might be next.

Parihar said their clients don’t feel safe either, especially because of beggars outside.

“We’re losing a lot of clients ... That’s killing the businesses here.”

Van der Zanden said he thought a lack of support was the biggest failure.

“The real crime isn’t just that people are stealing, but when everyone just turns their head.”

He says out of the six break-ins, he reported only three to police.

“There’s never community patrol, there’s no police presence,” Van der Zanden said.

New support for retailers

Napier MP Katie Nimon said a dedicated police retail crime unit had been set up in a broader effort to tackle retail offending.

It was now operating in Hawke’s Bay, she said.

“This new unit will be a game-changer for our local businesses. It means more support for our retailers, more accountability for offenders, and safer streets for everyone.”

In its first few weeks, the unit had made 17 arrests and laid 105 charges, focusing on high-rate offenders, and tackling the links between retail and organised crime, she said.

“The impact of retail crime on small businesses and frontline workers has been immense.

“This unit is a practical and targeted response – and it’s already getting results,” Nimon says.

“This is about getting ahead of crime, not just reacting to it.”

Retailers using the Auror platform are encouraged to continue reporting incidents through it to help Police identify patterns and repeat offenders.

Others can report retail crime online at police.govt.nz or by calling 105.