ELECTED AGAIN
BEACHLANDS MARAETAI WHITFORD CLEVEDON
Stockade Hill
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TIMES APPEAL
Botany and Ormiston
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Award-winning landscape artist Xiaoming An to exhibit at Auckland museum Page 6
A NAME YOU CAN TRUST! Thursday, October 13, 2016
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CRIME
‘They’re robbing me blind’
Burglars and bomb threat
Andrew Beatson is at the end of his tether with thefts continuing to affect his business. Times photo Wayne Martin ■ BY NICK KRAUSE
A
ndrew Beatson has had a gutsful. The 32-year-old butchery owner does 12-13 hours daily and some weeks works seven days. His Aussie Butcher franchise – a New Zealand-owned company which sells only Kiwi meat – is a busy operation and employs nine staff including part-timers. Any spare time Beatson has is precious and is devoted to his family. What’s getting on his wick though is a tidal wave of theft plaguing the Ti Rakau Drive store in Botany where he’s been for
10 years. And the apparent lack of police interest or adequate response. “There’s a lot of shoplifting. I’ve never seen this much,” said Beatson. “It’s definitely got worse. I’m guessing it’s tougher for people.” More alarming is that he and his staff have not only wrestled with thieves who had a trolley of stolen product, he’s also tried carjacking a vehicle a thief used after fleeing the scene with hundreds of dollars of meat. “We’ve stopped numerous ones. It’s sort of got to the point where we don’t even ring the police,” he
MISTAKEN IDENTITY CREATES PROBLEMS ❯❯ 2
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said. “The questions asked are just stupid. They ask if I want them to fingerprint. They say to trespass them. If anyone’s going to steal they’re not going to stay around to be told off. I’ve been advised to get a (car) rego. We’ve done that and nothing gets done. We’ve been burgled countless times. I don’t even ring up (anymore).” The thefts are hurting the company financially too, including the increase in insurance premiums. “They get away with (up to) $500 of goods. It will costs a couple of grand to repair a door.
We’ve tried to make it hard. They just break through the doors.” The store now has a steel door and steel bollards but acknowledges that if they want to get in, they will. In terms of dollar value in respect of losses? “Tens of thousands on repairs and upgrades. With shoplifting $100$300 (of goods each time).” His frustration has erupted with the return of an alleged repeat offender. “The same lady has been six times and has been caught four times,” said Beatson.
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The Whitford BP was targeted by burglars overnight Monday. Police received a call at about 3am, some 30-40 minutes after the incident. Police staff were on Tuesday attending the scene for forensic examinations and to follow-up leads. Meanwhile police and fire fighters responded to a bomb threat made around 8am on Tuesday on The Parade, Bucklands Beach. Cordons were in place for a time on The Parade and Wharf Rd, Bucklands Beach. Police said a man was being assessed by medical experts after his arrest for making the bomb threat. The Times was told that the person involved was being assessed at Middlemore Hospital for mental health issues. There was no bomb or explosive device.
TERM? ❯❯ 5
ALL BLACKS ON FIRE ❯❯ 23
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