PM Jacinda Ardern announces an additional package to support businessses.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is speaking at her regular post-Cabinet media conference.
It comes as dairy owners closed their shops for two hours this afternoon to protest following the death of 34-year-old Janak Patel while he worked at Rose Cottage Superette in Auckland's Sandringham last week.
Three men have been charged in relation to Patel's death.
"I've spoken already about the profound sadness and anger at the loss of Janak Patel. I want to thank the police for their speedy investigation and apprehension of three individuals - age 32, 46 and 36," Ardern said.
The matter was before the courts, so she could not say much more other than it was important for justice to be done, Ardern said.
The expansion of the aggravated robbery prevention initiatives in 2018, building on the previous measures brought in by the previous National government, saw more than 1000 fog cannons installed, Ardern said.
Ram raids had since increased, and the government rolled out its $6m Crime Prevention Fund in May, which had led to installations of security measures in more than 100 shops, she said.
"We also see a concerted effort by police to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice and that is having an impact. This year there have been 517 ram raids, in response there have been 360 prosecutions and 145 youth referrals."
This had contributed to the reduction in ram raids from a high point in August, to 13 this month so far, Ardern said.
Cabinet has today signed off an additional package to support businessses. This included:
A new $4m fund to support local council crime prevention programmes to be matched dollar-for-dollar with councils
Expanding the Retail Crime Prevention Fund to include aggravated robberies committed in the past year
A $4000 subsidy for small shops and dairies to install a fog cannon if they choose, "not just those who have been the victim of a crime"
Further details over the $4000 subsidy would be made available over the coming week, but it would be done through an authorised supplier list, Ardern said.
"We are aware of supply chain issues, but despite that I'm advised that police have been successful in ordering an extra 455 fog cannonns which are expected to arrive before Christmas. This adds to the 270 that are currently in the country and have been allocated to affected shops.
Ardern said that was despite global demand for fog cannons, and "it appears New Zealand is not alone in the current experience we are having".
The subsidy through an authorised supplier list removed a lot of a barriers to access, but "there is a global issue with access to these pieces of kit because this appears to be an issue that not just New Zealand is facing", She said.
The government had also been meeting with councils over the past month including meeting with mayors to hear what would help them prevent crime, she said.
"We've been working alongside in particular mayor Paula Southgate, who put this idea to us - and $1m of the fund will go to these kinds of measures in Hamilton.
"$2m of the fund will match Auckland Council dollar for dollar, and $1m will do the same across councils in the Bay of Plenty region. We have targeted those areas that have experienced a particular spike in retail crime."
The government was also continuing its work with young offenders, Ardern said.
"Evidence shows that what we are doing is working with around half of the most serious and repeat young offenders that were identified and targeted with the better pathways programme now back in education or training. Reoffending amongst this cohort has also reduced.
"As ministers we've also gone over all the tools available to deal with young offenders in these areas - there are many including the use of the courts. We're concerned by reports not all of these tools are being accessed where the public might expect and continue to actively look at ways to resolve this issue."
Ardern said it was understandable that there was a huge amount of emotion around the topic, but it was not true that there had been an escalation across all types of criminal activity, or that there had been a general increase in youth crime.
"Ninety-two percent of retail offending is committed by adults, aggravated robberies across some of these different types is actually less than it was five years ago."
The announcements today made up the most significant crime prevention package in recent memory, but continued support for the police was also important, Ardern said.
Auckland-based protesters gathered outside Ardern's electorate office in Mt Albert today, while Wellington protesters gathered outside Deputy Prime Minister Grant Roberston's office.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is speaking at her regular post-Cabinet media conference.
It comes as dairy owners closed their shops for two hours this afternoon to protest following the death of 34-year-old Janak Patel while he worked at Rose Cottage Superette in Auckland's Sandringham last week.
...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is speaking at her regular post-Cabinet media conference.
It comes as dairy owners closed their shops for two hours this afternoon to protest following the death of 34-year-old Janak Patel while he worked at Rose Cottage Superette in Auckland's Sandringham last week.
Three men have been charged in relation to Patel's death.
"I've spoken already about the profound sadness and anger at the loss of Janak Patel. I want to thank the police for their speedy investigation and apprehension of three individuals - age 32, 46 and 36," Ardern said.
The matter was before the courts, so she could not say much more other than it was important for justice to be done, Ardern said.
The expansion of the aggravated robbery prevention initiatives in 2018, building on the previous measures brought in by the previous National government, saw more than 1000 fog cannons installed, Ardern said.
Ram raids had since increased, and the government rolled out its $6m Crime Prevention Fund in May, which had led to installations of security measures in more than 100 shops, she said.
"We also see a concerted effort by police to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice and that is having an impact. This year there have been 517 ram raids, in response there have been 360 prosecutions and 145 youth referrals."
This had contributed to the reduction in ram raids from a high point in August, to 13 this month so far, Ardern said.
Cabinet has today signed off an additional package to support businessses. This included:
A new $4m fund to support local council crime prevention programmes to be matched dollar-for-dollar with councils
Expanding the Retail Crime Prevention Fund to include aggravated robberies committed in the past year
A $4000 subsidy for small shops and dairies to install a fog cannon if they choose, "not just those who have been the victim of a crime"
Further details over the $4000 subsidy would be made available over the coming week, but it would be done through an authorised supplier list, Ardern said.
"We are aware of supply chain issues, but despite that I'm advised that police have been successful in ordering an extra 455 fog cannonns which are expected to arrive before Christmas. This adds to the 270 that are currently in the country and have been allocated to affected shops.
Ardern said that was despite global demand for fog cannons, and "it appears New Zealand is not alone in the current experience we are having".
The subsidy through an authorised supplier list removed a lot of a barriers to access, but "there is a global issue with access to these pieces of kit because this appears to be an issue that not just New Zealand is facing", She said.
The government had also been meeting with councils over the past month including meeting with mayors to hear what would help them prevent crime, she said.
"We've been working alongside in particular mayor Paula Southgate, who put this idea to us - and $1m of the fund will go to these kinds of measures in Hamilton.
"$2m of the fund will match Auckland Council dollar for dollar, and $1m will do the same across councils in the Bay of Plenty region. We have targeted those areas that have experienced a particular spike in retail crime."
The government was also continuing its work with young offenders, Ardern said.
"Evidence shows that what we are doing is working with around half of the most serious and repeat young offenders that were identified and targeted with the better pathways programme now back in education or training. Reoffending amongst this cohort has also reduced.
"As ministers we've also gone over all the tools available to deal with young offenders in these areas - there are many including the use of the courts. We're concerned by reports not all of these tools are being accessed where the public might expect and continue to actively look at ways to resolve this issue."
Ardern said it was understandable that there was a huge amount of emotion around the topic, but it was not true that there had been an escalation across all types of criminal activity, or that there had been a general increase in youth crime.
"Ninety-two percent of retail offending is committed by adults, aggravated robberies across some of these different types is actually less than it was five years ago."
The announcements today made up the most significant crime prevention package in recent memory, but continued support for the police was also important, Ardern said.
Auckland-based protesters gathered outside Ardern's electorate office in Mt Albert today, while Wellington protesters gathered outside Deputy Prime Minister Grant Roberston's office.
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