Graeme Johnson surveys damage inside his store following a ram raid in the early hours of the morning.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Graeme Johnson surveys damage inside his store following a ram raid in the early hours of the morning.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Thieves left a stolen car used to ram raid a jewellery and watch store inside the business premises with its engine running and fled in a getaway vehicle in a close-knit Northland town.
The ram raid at Graeme Jewels and Time in central Kamo at about 3.10am on Sunday hasshocked residents and business owners, with one two shops away from the targeted store seriously considering moving elsewhere.
No arrests were made by lunch hour yesterday and Northland police would like to hear from anyone who was in Kamo at about 3am and witnessed the ram raid or knew those responsible to come forward.
Police are also keen to hear from anyone who sees or hears of jewellery being sold at a discounted price.
Kamo police station is almost across the road from where the ram raid took place but it's not open 24 hours a day.
Graeme Johnson, owner of Graeme Jewels and Time, is still tallying up the items stolen from the ram raid — the second in the 25 years he'd been operating from the premises.
The first was 12 years ago.
Graeme Johnson is annoyed at the ram raid at his business but humbled by offers of help from the Kamo community.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
He stocks an extensive range of traditional and contemporary style clocks as well as jewellery.
"The car used in the ram raid was driven inside and all counters were pushed back. The engine was still going when I got here. It's senseless destruction but we're up, we're smiling, and moving forward.
"It was humbling to see hundreds of people come in throughout the day on Sunday, bringing food, and builders and electricians offering their services. It was unbelievable," Johnson said.
Graeme, his wife and staff worked tirelessly throughout Sunday to get the shop up and running and it will be open for business from 8am today.
He said although what happened was annoying, life moved on.
Parambir Singh, owner of Kamo Supermart just two shops away from Johnson's business, moved from Opononi less than two years ago in search of a better opportunities but was having second thoughts after the ram raid.
"Kamo is generally a quiet town and for a ram raid to happen, it's very scary. Dairies have been mostly robbed but the same is happening in jewellery shops and other businesses.
"I am thinking of moving elsewhere. I ran an Indian takeaway and grocery business in Opononi for six years without any trouble, and while it's been okay here so far, the situation is getting bad now," Singh said.
He said while the police were doing their job, young offenders were getting a slap on the wrist which gave them the courage to keep committing violent crimes.
"Those responsible for this ram raid didn't fear police or the fact that the police station was almost across the road. They didn't fear CCTV cameras all over this place. How can other businesses feel safe?"
Parambir Singh of Kamo Supermart is just two shops away from where a ram raid took place.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
The last reported ram raid at a Northland business prior to the one in Kamo was at Z Energy in Taipa in early May.
It's unknown whether Sunday's ram raid was linked to a number of similar incidents across Auckland recently, including one where three stolen vehicles smashed into the Ormiston Town Centre shopping centre.
The Government and the police have come under fire in recent weeks after a spate of gang-related shootings in Auckland.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said most of the ram-raiders tormenting retailers in New Zealand's largest city were younger than 15 and not "productively engaged".
Last month, the Government announced a $6 million support package for shop owners to help protect themselves from ram raids by installing bollards or other protection structures.
The package would also allow for security measures such as fog cannons, security screens and alarms.
