Colleagues of a Hamilton man who was stabbed while working at an Auckland dairy say ‘someone else will die’ if nothing is done to tackle the wave of crime hitting small shops.
One shop owner says New Zealand is worse than South Africa, another says another death is likely, and even the town’s mayor wants action so retailers don’t start arming themselves.
Waikato retail groups are holding a vigil Janak Patel, 34, from Hamilton, who died after an alleged robbery of an Auckland dairy on Wednesday night.
The organizers expect between 60 and 70 people to attend the meeting in the parking lot at The Base shopping center at noon on Sunday.
READ MORE:
* An increase in ram raids is causing landlords to take matters into their own hands
* City of the future or teenage crime?
* Vending machines touted as solution to tobacco crime as dairies owners express anger
Patel was attacked in the street outside the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham and police are hunting for his killer.
His sister said through an intermediary on Friday that “I need justice for my brother”.
“We urge the New Zealand government to urgently arrest the criminal who took the life of our brother and hold the murderer to account and give him the harshest punishment,” she said.
Patel had worked at a dairy in Cambridge for six months before moving to Auckland, SuperValue Parkwood owner Manish Thakkar said.
Thakkar’s own store has been open for four years and has been robbed about eight times, and last month he warned Police Minister Chris Hipkins that someone was going to die.
The latest robbery at Thakkar’s store was on a Saturday night in October, while he was on holiday in Amsterdam, and the person was carrying a knife.
“They stole about $40,000 worth of cigarettes.”
Thakkar had to fly home because his staff were too scared to work past 6pm.
Christel Yardley/Stuff
SuperValue Parkwood has been robbed about eight times since it opened in 2016.
His wife Rupali said robberies make finding staff difficult.
“One of our employees was so scared that he got a heartache and had to stop coming to work.”
The couple said there are several dairy farmers who want to close shop but can’t find a buyer or have a leasehold.
People move to Australia and Canada, or go back to India.
“They say what’s the point of living in this country? When we came here 20 years ago, the country was so safe. Now people now compare it to South Africa. But this is even worse because South Africa has strict laws and New Zealand does not.”
Thakkar said the police are doing a perfect job. The problem is the consequences.
“The law is too soft here. Legislative changes need to be made so that it can be controlled. They should be punished for repeated offenses.”
Thakkar has been assessed for $6 million assistance crime prevention fund announced in Mayand paid the required assessment fee of $260 more than a month ago, but help has now stalled.
Tom Lee/Stuff
“It will get worse, someone else will die,” says Ash Parmar, owner of the liquor store in northern Waikato.
Liquor store owner Ash Parmar has stores in Ngāruawāhia and Huntly and said the death was numbing for business.
He feels that the government used the $6 million fund as a diversion and that the problem did not arise overnight.
“No one is talking about the core of punishment. The legal system is very flexible, we desperately need the government to admit that. I’m not just talking about juvenile delinquency, I’m also talking about adults committing these crimes as well.”
“It will get worse, someone else will die. They’re not going to stop, it’s not going to change overnight, criminals aren’t afraid of the justice system.
“Come and work in our stores, see how bad these people are, how high they sometimes get when they come into the stores. We see them every day, they are capable of doing very bad things.”
Police know that this type of crime disrupts the lives and livelihoods of shopkeepers and causes damage, a statement from acting Hamilton City Area Commander Scott Miller said.
“We understand the concerns expressed in the community and retail industry and we will continue to work hard to hold violators accountable.”
Prevention officers have advised on visits to “numerous businesses”, worked with three major Hamilton malls to support security staff and also held group meetings on safety, in conjunction with the Hamilton Central Business Association, Miller said. There is also a safety checklist on the Hub for retail crime prevention.
Christel Yardley/Stuff
Mayor Paula Southgate wants to take the repeat offenders out of the community and into custody (file photo).
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said the deadly robbery might as well have happened in Hamilton and there is still a possibility.
Southgate is concerned that shopkeepers will take matters into their own hands and arm themselves.
“We don’t want to see that because we don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Southgate believes the government is working on the details of the proposals it has put to them, such as bollards, number plate recognition cameras, along with youth work. She supported custodial sentences to remove the worst offenders from the community.