Nothing stolen after Michael Hill Napier jeweller broken into

A glass cabinet was smashed at the Michael Hill Jeweller store in Napier on Tuesday morning. Photo / Caron Copek

Burglars smashed glass cases but came away with nothing after a break-in at the Michael Hill Jeweller store in Napier on Tuesday morning.

Police confirmed it was a break-in, not a ram-raid, and said their inquiries are ongoing.

Police officers were at the scene on Emerson St about 9.10am, along with a store security guard. The alarm was activated at 5.25am.

Michael Bell, NZ national retail manager for Michael Hill, said in a statement all jewellery in-store is packed up each night when the store closes and securely stored in armoured safes so no stock can be stolen from counters overnight.

Michael Hill stores are also protected at night by fog cannons, screamer sirens and motion sensors.

“We saw the success of these combined measures with the overnight attack on our store in Napier,” Bell said.

“While our Napier store was broken into and suffered unnecessary damage, no jewellery was available to be stolen, so none was taken.”

He said break-ins were a waste of time.

“Overnight break-ins are a pointless exercise that then take time, money and effort to repair when there is not even any jewellery available to be stolen, yet the impact on our team members and valued customers can be significant,” he said.

Bell said the company also wished to acknowledge and express their appreciation of “the ongoing efforts and support of the NZ Police, who pleasingly continue with their high arrest rates for criminals who attack Michael Hill stores”.

Michael Hill Jeweller stores introduced security guards to all their North Island stores about two months ago.

The move came shortly after a series of brazen aggravated robberies during open hours, including one at the Michael Hill Hastings store.

The latest break-in comes days after three teens were arrested in relation to an aggravated burglary at Pascoes jewellery store in Napier on Wednesday last week.

Earlier last week, police arrested five youths aged 11 to 14 after spiking a stolen vehicle allegedly used in a ram-raid on a Napier dairy.

Michael Hill Jeweller stores introduced security guards to all their North Island stores about two months ago after a series of brazen robberies across the North Island. Photo / Caron Copek

The dairy’s owner, Binu Thomas, said icecream, chips and soft drinks were taken and thousands of dollars of damage was done to the store during the ram-raid.

He said earlier his shop had been broken into more than once and the offenders were usually youths.

As of Friday evening, police were still investigating an aggravated robbery in which a Hastings dairy owner was attacked with a hatchet on Tuesday this week.

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz