$6m ramraid help ‘too little, too late’

Ramraided businesses and community leaders are taking aim at the Government’s $6 million crime prevention programme, calling it a ‘‘disappointment’’ and saying it’s come too late.

Police Minister Poto Williams yesterday announced the Government would be providing the investment for a programme managed by police, which would include solutions such as installing bollards or other protection structures like alarms and fog cannons.

It will enable police to work with vulnerable small businesses to identify ‘‘effective and practical solutions’’ for their business.

Crime Prevention Group president Sunny Kaushal said the package was ‘‘too little, too late’’.

‘‘If you look at fog cannons alone – that required $13 million minimum for their instalments in businesses, [so] this amount is not going to help much,’’ he said.

‘‘There’s a lot more required, it’s not a well-thought-out policy.’’

Kaushal said the Government should have listened to business leaders years ago, when they started raising concerns.

The announcement didn’t inspire Anna Zheng, whose husband, Andy Lin sleeps in his liquor store after multiple ramraids and break-ins this year. The pair had already paid for six bollards to be installed, which cost them $6000, so the announcement came too late for them, she said.

Kalpesh Patel’s dairy in Parnell was ramraided in October 2021.

He said he didn’t believe the programme would solve Auckland’s ongoing ramraid problem.

The first thing that needed to be tackled, he said, was stopping young people from breaking in and damaging shops in the first place.

‘‘Stopping the ramraids should be the first step, then helping retailers. If it rarely happens, then [business owners] can protect themselves – rather than every night,’’ he said.

‘‘The retailers should get help, but that’s something that comes afterwards. That being said, I suppose it’s always better late than never.’’

Minister Williams said in a press release police would look at the range of crime and security risks each small retailer faced. Other options like fog cannons, security alarms or screens may be considered.

‘‘Ramraids can also have serious personal mental health and wellbeing impacts on business owners, their families, and staff and these measures help prevent that,’’ said Williams.