Ram raids, crime spree: Business owners say CCTV, fog cannons, bollards no match for thieves, want better solutions

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Robbed, ram-raided, held at gunpoint, even stabbed - Ravinder Singh has seen it all.

His Pukekohe liquor store’s been hit more than 15 times, despite being fitted out with two fog cannons, bollards, concrete blocks, and more than 20 CCTV cameras.

Just last month, youths ram-raided the side of his shop, knocking down a bollard in the process.

“The way they have hit the store, it’s not an easy task,” Singh told NZ Herald Focus. “They have observed my shop for two to three days, what time, which car, what kind of bumper they need. We can slow them down but we can’t stop them.

“So is that bollard stopping them? Or is that fog cannon stopping them now? Is this a real solution for ram raiders?”

Across Auckland, business owners are complaining of a recent surge in crime, saying security systems aren’t helping.

Ravinder Singh, whose Counties Inn Liquor Centre has been hit by thieves 15 times, despite a raft of security measures. Photo / Jed Bradley

And that’s when they actually work.

Managers of a Hobsonville West Liquor store, one of the 26 owned by The Trusts, were left surprised after discovering their fog cannon didn’t go off during a robbery earlier this month.

CEO Allan Pollard said it was likely a rare fault, but stressed more needs to be done in the first place.

“It’s a deterrent like everything, but it’s just not stopping these people,” Pollard said.

“We see all over New Zealand, Auckland in particular, fog cannons that do go off and it still doesn’t deter the criminals, the offenders, they still come into the business, they still take your stocks.

“They’ve decided and committed to doing that robbery. They’ll still find a way.”

Hobsonville Village West Liquor. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Security interventions have largely been the Government’s go-to solution. It recently boosted the Retail Crime Prevention fund to $15 million.

The programme, managed by police, is designed to support retailers who have been the victim of a ram raid or aggravated robbery by providing a range of safety measures.

More than 1000 security interventions have been completed and invoiced by contractors including 297 fog cannons, 246 security sirens, 266 alarms, 259 CCTV systems or system upgrades, 92 bollards or similar security measures, 132 roller doors, and 75 other interventions that include improved lighting/strengthened.

In a statement, Police Minister Ginny Andersen said businesses she had spoken to felt safer after having security interventions installed, but aknowledged more work could be done.

“I am committed to addressing the wider issues of retail crime and youth offending. We know that this is an issue that we need to get on top of, and any instance of retail crime is unacceptable,” her statement read.

“In Budget 23 we announced funding to expand the highly successful ‘circuit breaker’ programme, to Auckland City, Hamilton, and Christchurch. This programme targets repeat child offenders and ensures once a child is identified or apprehended by police, information is shared with Oranga Tamariki within 24 hours, a referral is completed, and an agreed plan developed by community providers within 48 hours; 72 per cent of those referred through this programme don’t reoffend.”

Chair of the Dairy & Business Owners Group Sunny Kaushal said the package acted as “the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff”.

“Something is better than nothing but it’s a band-aid,” he said.

“What needs to be done is first of all, stop those criminals. There needs to be a strong message out there for those offenders.”

In a recent submission to the justice select committee, Kaushal outlined tweaking a section of the crimes act as a proposed solution to see in particular, youth offenders held to account.

He hasn’t received a formal response, but has locked in a time to meet with Andersen in person in July.

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