Move the focus from ‘trendy’ ram raids

Dave Harris is a service station owner and former President of MTA. He contributed this column after a recent theft at one of his premises.

In a time when ram raids dominate headlines and political campaign promises, it’s essential to shift our focus to the other, less trendy but equally disruptive crimes.

These crimes are growing as a result of the security upgrades being deployed, which could be described as unintentional consequences.

The recent surge in nonresidential burglaries and smashand-grab incidents in Waikato – where I live - serves as a stark reminder that these crimes demand equal attention and action from both authorities and society.

Let’s look at some statistics reported by Stuff on 22 July 2023, quoting the Waikato District Commander Superintendent Bruce Bird.

In the past 12 months:

• crime shot up 22 percent nationwide

• Waikato robbery figures have climbed 34 percent

• non-residential burglaries in Waikato increased by a staggering 57 percent.

There have been 320 charges laid in the past six months in Waikato in response to 30 ram raids, and most interesting and relevant, 59 smash and grabs – in other words, twice as many! There is no reason to assume these statistics are any different in other provinces. For businesses in sleepy rural Waikato towns like ours –Matamata in my case - waking up to the 2am phone call from the monitoring company, a shattered front door and the aftermath of a smash-andgrab burglary is an unfortunate reality. Unlike the ‘trendy’ ram raids, these incidents often involve similar outcomes, though with potentially less structural damage, and much less media coverage or political will to proactively minimise.

One specific incident, which I experienced first-hand recently, sheds light on the severity of smash-and-grab crimes. The burglary involved two culprits who managed to wreak havoc in a mere 2.5 minutes, leaving behind a trail of broken glass and stolen stock, mainly comprising vapes. While the swift response from law enforcement led to the identification and arrest of the culprits, this incident serves as a cautionary tale about the vulnerability of sectors being overlooked as the politicians follow the noise being made in the media and introduce narrow bands of populus policy. It’s important to note three key points from this incident.

• This was not a ram raid.

• This was not a dairy.

• At least one offender was confirmed to not be a minor. Yes, it’s all about vapes these days as most of us have wised up to the security of tobacco products, formerly the hottest item to be stolen from a store during any armed hold-up, ram raid or smash and grab. Interestingly though, this burglary did highlight that without similar security to tobacco, the vape products sit there completely uninsured. Fortunately for us, the security systems we have in play such as bollards, monitored alarms and a fog cannon hurried the burglary such that the product stolen was absolutely minimal, and the cost was more in the inconvenience and stress of the staff who turned up to work and the mess.

Harsher penalties needed

To combat the rise in property crimes, there is a pressing need for more extensive policing efforts, stronger laws, and harsher penalties. While investing in security measures such as locked cupboards, safes, bollards, monitored alarms, security patrols, CCTV, and fog cannons can mitigate damage, addressing the root cause of criminal behaviour is equally vital. The security measures employed are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. They are only used in anger once the crime has been committed. Society must work together to instill a sense of responsibility and respect for the law.

It’s high time to broaden the discourse surrounding property crimes. Focusing solely on ram raids perpetrated by young individuals targeting dairies overlooks the wider context of similar break-and-enter type crimes. By casting a wider net and investing equal effort in combating all property-related offenses, authorities can create a more comprehensive strategy to ensure the protection of the convenience retailers that are part of the fabric of New Zealand. While ram raids garner significant attention in the media and political arena, the rise in other less ‘trendy’ crimes, such as smash-and-grab incidents, must not be ignored. Businesses in our sector and beyond face the harsh reality of property crimes, necessitating a concerted effort to combat this issue. By implementing stricter laws, intensifying policing efforts, and broadening the focus to encompass all types of property-related offenses, we can hope for a safer and more secure society for everyone. It’s high time we recognise the significance of addressing all forms of crime and work collectively to curb this behaviour.