In the wake of last week's tragic stabbing incident at the Sandringham dairy, where 34-year-old Janak Patel lost his life, the small business owners' community has been shocked.
The retail crime rate has been steadily increasing over the last 2-3 years, but last week's incident has brought it to a head.
Mukesh Patel, the owner of a dairy in Christchurch, is one of many business owners who decided to quit and seek other employment.
Patel has been operating the Bridge St dairy in South Brighton for almost 20 years now and there has not been any incident in his store yet; he has made up his mind to quit the business by March 2023. Originally from Mumbai, Patel moved to New Zealand in the year 2000.
"I have decided enough is enough. In January, I will put up the dairy for sale and I will leave in March, no matter what happens. I want to go back to India though I am still not certain about the plans."
"I've been exercising all possible caution. I shut down the store early at six o'clock. Fortunately, the neighbourhood is really safe, and the community is fantastic. However, I have been observing what is happening with many other business owners I know, and I do feel uneasy."
Business owners in Christchurch have organised themselves in response to the rising incidents. Indian business owners have started a WhatsApp group to facilitate better communication. A massive protest has also been organised on Sunday to highlight the business community's concerns.
There have been quite a few friends of Patel's who have shut down their businesses and moved to Australia recently. Many others want to quit the business but are forced to continue due to pressing financial reasons or lease restrictions. He has also asked his daughter and son-in-law to close their dairy business and look for a job or take up another profession.
"I am grateful to the community around who has been very supportive and want me to stay. But this Government's attitude towards business owners has frustrated me, and I have made my decision to quit."
"I wish the government will take a cue from other nations with strict legislation to combat such crimes. A soft approach has only encouraged more people to take up to crime. We always feared that given the current course of events, a tragic incident similar to the one in Sandringham would inevitably occur sooner rather than later. It is a very sad incident, and our heart goes out to Janak's young family."
I also fear that if things continue the way you will soon have people being attacked inside their homes and nobody will be safe.
After the Sandringham stabbing incident, the government has announced additional funding and payment of $4000 to every small shop and dairy wanting to install fog cannons.
Commenting on the funding to address dairies safety concerns, Patel says these measures are just knee-jerk reactions and won't have much impact on rising crime.
Patel said the business community is a hard-working community that contributes significantly to the economy. “We do not deserve to be living in fear 24x7 for the safety of our livelihood and our family. After the death of Janak Patel, hopefully, the government will enact some strict legislation and strengthen the laws to make sure the loss is not in vain.”
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