Retailers say police are slow to pick up on reports of shoplifting, and proposed penalties seem too little, too late. Photo / 123rf
Retailers say police are slow to pick up on reports of shoplifting, and proposed penalties seem too little, too late. Photo / 123rf
Northland retailers say a proposed crackdown on shoplifting is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
The Government announced last week it was proposing stronger penalties for theft that included instant fines, stronger penalties and a new aggravated theft offence.
Some business owners are sceptical about howeffective the crackdown will be.
They questioned the effectiveness of instant fines since it was hard to catch offenders.
Business owners told the Northern Advocate they had given up on reporting incidents to police.
The business owner described two groups of shoplifters: opportunists with money or youngsters in big groups.
Sometimes people would be so “brazen” they would put on a ring and walk out.
Retailers in the Whangārei CBD say not enough is being done to manage shoplifting, and fear proposed Government changes won't make much difference. Photo / NZME
Another retailer said reporting incidents to police sometimes felt pointless.
Customers had snuck $300 handbags into prams while others tried to exit shops with items to “show [their] friend”.
“Technically, they’re not stealing when they’re in the shop [but] once they’ve left, you’ve got no one backing you.”
The retailer said a staff member was once punched in the face when confronting a shoplifter.
They described the Government’s proposal as the “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff”.
“The people who do the crimes haven’t got the money to pay the fines.”
Kerikeri Business Association chairperson Sarah Curtis said the initiative appeared to be a step towards action but more details were needed.
She had heard anecdotally that offenders were sophisticated in how they carried out thefts.
Small groups split up in a shop while someone waited in the car.
“... And then just walk out when they have arms full of goods.”
Retailers didn’t feel safe enough to stop thieves from leaving their premises with stolen goods, she said.
CCTV was an important tool for helping identify offenders but the process needed to be easier to get footage to police.
“However, with the workload our local police have currently, I’m not sure they will be able to respond to the level of crime our retailers are seeing.”
Curtis said the proposal could make a real impact if the collection of penalties were simple.
Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith said he had given “strong instructions” for the ministry to collect the fines.
Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith says the proposals will make it easier for police to punish shoplifters. Photo / NZME
Whangārei District Council community safety officer David Palmer said there had been a drop in reported dishonesty offending in the CBD.
However, a 2024 Retail New Zealand report found that almost 40% of retail crimes were not reported to police.
Palmer said police had been focusing on recidivist offenders, which may have resulted in a decline in reported shoplifting in the CBD since August last year.
He said the highest area for reported incidents was the CBD, with Cameron St being the worst.
Northland district commander Superintendent Matt Srhoj said Whangārei police had a retail crime prevention unit that worked closely with CitySafe and other partners.
“Police beat patrols have increased significantly over the past year and will continue to do so.
“Creating a space where poor behaviour is not tolerated is the key.”
Srhoj said police relied on the eyes and ears of the public, and reporting incidents was essential.
Anything reported was stored in the database, which provided opportunities to link locations, suspects and vehicles.
“Sometimes the smallest details (including descriptions of people or vehicles) are the most crucial in providing the right information to resolve offending, or historical offending.”
Victims may prefer an in-person response for all incidents but that would not always be possible, he said.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
