Ram-raids are continuing unabated in Auckland despite police warning that a "tragedy is waiting to happen."
Detective Inspector Karen Bright of Counties Manukau Police expressed concerns while addressing a media briefing on Wednesday, April 27, following the audacious ram raids of Monday night at the Ormiston Shopping Centre.
"It involves stealing cars, fleeing and driving into buildings. One of the real worries we have is that it is a tragedy waiting to happen," she said.
However, despite the warning, subsequently, on the same following night, three more incidents of attempted and successful ram raids were reported from different parts of Auckland city, including a Mairangi-Bay dairy, Gas station in Titirangi and a store in Mt Roskill in central suburbs.
Earlier, three stolen cars went on a driving rampage inside the Ormiston Shopping Centre in the presence of cleaning and security staff, accompanied by more than a dozen young offenders, thus creating an impression of the mauling of the otherwise pristine shopping precinct in the middle of the night.
Ormiston Town Centre is newly built, having opened just over a year ago, and this was the fourth ram raid incidence.
A spokesperson of the Shopping centre told the Indian Weekender that at approximately 1:10am on April 26, three vehicles were used to ram raid the Noel Leeming store at Ormiston Town Centre.
"There was a security guard present at the time, but the offenders managed to flee. No one was injured, and Police were notified of the incident."
"The Centre Owners are concerned about the increase in incidents across Auckland and are increasing security measures at the centre."
"We are working with Police who are making enquiries into the incident," the spokesperson said.
Police said there were multiple offenders, all of whom got away in two of the stolen vehicles.
Police seek community's help.
Police said the majority - 88 per cent - of ram raiders were under 20, and most were under 17.
"When we've got 11-year-olds out in the middle of the night driving stolen cars and crashing into retail stores, there is a bigger problem out there. "There is a part that other people can play, including social media, parents, the wider community, keeping these kids in school and people who are receiving these stolen goods. There's a lot of things that can be done, and it's not just a police issue to solve."
Police Minister needs to front up on the issue of rising ram-raids
Meanwhile, the Dairy and Business Owners Group is pressing for the resignation of Police Minister Poto Williams, saying that the Minister needs to front up the issue and not hide behind the desk.
Notedly, Newshub reported Minister Poto Williams insisting that the Government is not soft on crime and Police are properly resourced to deal with it.
"They've got sufficient funding, they've got lots of people coming into the Police. We're raising the number of Police by 1800," Minister Williams said.
Sunny Kaushal, the Chair of Dairy and Business Owners Group and Crime Prevention Group, rejected the Minister's need to front up on the issue or just leave.
"The violent crime is up 21% and retail crime up 31%. The police response time is skyrocketing. We need more Police. It shouldn't take a gun's threat to police action," Kaushal said.
"We have called for the Police minister's resignation who has lost the trust of the public, small business and probably police too," Kaushal added.
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