New Zealand's Motor Trade Association (MTA) and the Dairy and Business Owners Group (DBOG) have launched a collaborative initiative focused on securing greater protection for vulnerable retail establishments.
The Safer Shops initiative will advocate for enhanced protection measures for service stations, dairies and liquor stores against retail crime.
The initiative seeks increased police action and new preventive measures against crime and to deal with offenders.
MTA chief executive Lee Marshall said: “Violent crime leaves hard-working Kiwis injured physically and scarred mentally, and theft threatens their existence.
“These important businesses, their people and their customers will now have a strong voice dedicated to their protection – Safer Shops.”
DBOG chair Manish Thakkar highlighted recent violent incidents, including an assault on a Lower Hutt dairy worker by masked men, to underline the urgent need for full government protection.
Retail crime released by the DBOG in August 2024 indicates that retail crime is worsening, with a 17% rise compared to the same period in 2023.
Manish Thakkar said: “Just last week, a gang of four masked men stormed a Lower Hutt dairy and assaulted the woman behind the counter.
“That is totally unacceptable, but shows the danger dairies face every day. Government must do more to stop and punish offenders and keep our people safe.”
He added: “New Zealand is heading down the disastrous UK route where shoplifting is not seen as a police priority [and this therefore] greenlights theft on an industrial scale.”
The Safer Shops partnership appreciates the steps the government has taken in 2024 to tackle retail crime, but it noted that there is still considerable work ahead.
It believes that service stations, dairies and liquor stores are still bearing too much of the responsibility to protect themselves when it is the duty of the government and the NZ police to do so.
As an initial step, Safer Shops is seeking meetings with Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers to explore ways the partnership, government and NZ police can collaborate to safeguard vulnerable Kiwis.
MTA advocacy head James McDowall said: “Both our organisations have worked hard to convince the government there needs to be new thinking and action – and we’ve achieved a lot. Together, we will be an even more powerful and persuasive force for change.”
