Two burglaries, two neighbourhoods and the same outcome: Victims expecting more from NZ Police

Two burglaries reported in the community over last week where homeowners lost their gold and jewellery are not satisfied with Police’s response and the promise to attend crime scene in reasonable time.

In July 2016, the Police Minister Judith Collins had announced that the police would attend every burglary thus changing it from “volume crime” to “priority offence.” 

Om Prakash Garg, 55, who lives with his wife and two kids in Papakura, South Auckland was surprised, though not much concerned initially, to find the door of the bedroom locked on the night of Thursday, June 1, after returning from work.

They have been living in the house since last many years and believed it to be a safe neighbourhood.

However, Mr Garg could not hold his nerve for long as the family have kept a huge collection of gold jewellery bought locally and from India for their daughter’s forthcoming marriage in a locker in that bedroom.

Mr Garg peeked through the window from outside only to find the room disturbed with everything jumbled and messed up.

Immediately he called his wife to confirm if they have left the room messed up as the family was expected to go out to a local temple earlier in the evening, only to be disappointed and to activate the family’s worst fears that the inevitable has happened – the house has been burgled.

Mr Garg is a self-employed accountant, and his wife also owns a beautician business, and the family has been working and saving hard for their daughter’s marriage.

“All our gold jewellery worth of $60-70,000 has gone just in one night,” a visibly frustrated Mr Garg told Indian Weekender.

“Only $28,000 worth of jewellery was insured as we have been slightly casual in getting everything insured.

“It’s not just financial loss rather there was an enormous emotional value attached to that jewellery as many were inherited from generations in the family,” Mr Garg gasped.

However, it is not just about the misfortune of burglary that is affecting the Garg family, instead what followed from there and the Police response that the family is alleging to be short of their expectations.

“We reported this incident to Police on Thursday night itself, and given the fact that there was another incident of burglary in a neighbour’s house the same morning when Police has arrived on the scene, we were also expecting police to come at our place,” Mr Garg asserted.

“On the contrary, we were advised over the phone not to touch anything till the investigative officer (fingerprint experts) arrive next day,”   

“The fingerprint expert arrived next day but we are not satisfied with our entire experience with the police.

“The Police are saying that with the report of crime and collection of fingerprints it is the end of the story,” Mr Garg is alleging.

“It is not the end of the story for our family. We have worked hard for our wealth only to lose it just when we needed it the most and the Police is not even considering it worth to come to the scene and investigate properly,” Mr Garg said.

“Our family has not slept in our home since the last three nights because we are too scared as burglars had been able to enter in our property without any fear of consequences.” Mr Garg complained.

Another young couple lives in fear in Epsom after an unwanted home-invasion

Another young couple Kashish Bakshi and Alka Rani, are living in fear in their home in Epsom when they found their home disturbed on Friday night last week.

Mrs Bakshi was the first of the two, to arrive home on Friday evening only to find that their house was messed up with drawers left open and bags open.

Her first port of call obviously was her husband who works as a chef and usually finishes late in the night to confirm their worst fear that their house has been burgled.

This was too shocking information for Mrs Bakshi to handle alone and she sought help from a family friend living next door.

The lady living next door joined Mrs Bakshi in calling the police and informing about the incident of burglary, expecting some immediate help to arrive soon.

However, the response from there was less than the expectations of the couple. 

“We tried calling police two and three times till midnight hoping somebody to arrive on the scene, only to be told that nothing is going to happen until tomorrow,” a visibly anguished Mr Bakshi told Indian Weekender.

“The fingerprint expert arrived next day and asked us to remain outside the house while they collect fingerprints.

“That’s all Police has done so far.

“What about assuaging our fears that this will not happen again? We have not been able to sleep in the house since last three nights,”

“The burglars are walking free out there without any fear that Police is hunting for them,” Mr Bakshi bemoaned.