Ram raids have plagued retailers across New Zealand over the past two years.
According to police figures released in July, there were at least 388 “ram-raid style events” in a six-month period to the end of May, including 99 that remained unsolved.
During the six-month period, police said there were 218 prosecutions for ram raids, while 86 young people were referred to Police Youth Services.
Meanwhile, in 2022, police recorded 516 ram raids around the country.
Police are investigating a ram raid at a Manuaku liquor store overnight. Photo / Hayden Woodward.
National Party police spokesperson says Labour is ‘soft on crime’
Police Minister Ginny Anderson has previously described the stats are ‘unacceptable’.
She told the Herald in July that the level of retail crime is “completely unacceptable” and said the Government was taking steps to get on top of the issue.
“No one should go to work and feel unsafe,” she said in a statement.
“[The steps we’re taking are] including intensive programmes to break the cycle of offending and provide support to retail owners - but we know there is more work we need to do.”
Meanwhile, National’s police spokesman Mark Mitchell rubbed further salt in the wounds of his party’s opposition by reminding the public of Labour’s need to change police minister four times whilst in office.
Damaged shopfront at Hurstmere Rd Superette in Takapuna after a ram raid on the night of August 9.
“This is the sad reality under a soft-on-crime Labour Government,” he told the Herald.
“Labour has delivered a crime wave the country has never been inflicted with before. The only action they have taken has been to reduce the prison population.”
Mitchell said National, should they be elected in October would take public safety seriously and would be “determined on restoring law and order”.
“One of the biggest problems is when they keep absconding or they’re out on the streets, they pose a huge risk to the community and to themselves as well,” he said.
