Manawatu Police has launched a multi-facet operation ‘ Op Star’ with a team dedicated to investigating aggravated robberies in the Manawatu region to ensure local business owners are best prepared to protect themselves from crime.
As a part of this operation, police make regular rounds and visits to the local dairy shops, and the police has also asked the dairy owners to protect themselves.
“The primary target for these robberies has been our local dairies and service stations, family-owned businesses which are an important part of our communities,” the lead investigator in the Op Star team Detective Jaz Woollett said.
“Aggravated robberies are vicious crimes, the trauma they cause should not be underestimated.
“Our team is determined to identify the offenders behind these hideous crimes and hold them to account.
“As well as this, prevention teams will be working closely with dairy and service station owners and their employees to share prevention advice and teach them what to do if they are targeted.”
The Op Star team has also asked the general public of the region to realise that they can contribute too to ensure the safety of the community members especially local retail stores.
“One of the best crime prevention tools is a community. We know who is a neighbour and who is a regular visitor to our local community – so we encourage people to use that knowledge,” says Detective Woollett.
“If you recognise people unfamiliar to your area hanging around your local dairy or service station, or if you see someone acting suspiciously, we need you to let us know.
Earlier in September, a dairy shop on near Palmerston North was ambushed by six young men aged between 14 and 29, and the offenders bashed the TVs, CCTV cameras and the robbed cash before leaving in their car. The offenders were arrested the next day and appeared in the district court.
1 News earlier today reported that local retailer Vijay Patel of Four Square updated his security system given the issue of a spate of aggravated robberies in the region.
"We have been mindful about it, what's been happening out there especially with all these aggravated robberies.
“You are providing local customers with good service here, and we feel that ourselves and our staff need to feel safe, plus the customers coming in here. You know, a store like this, we serve about two and a half thousand or up to four thousand people a week,” Mr Patel told 1 NEWS.
Dairy owners in the region have also started a Whatsapp group that keeps an information track of any such incidents that happen at the local store, even if it is shopliftings or any suspicious behaviour in their shops or neighbourhood.
The police are also closely working with neighbourhood support groups to monitor areas for any suspicious activities.
Detective Woollett has appealed the public to not to hesitate to call the police if they have any information that could be useful to the police.
“If you witness a crime occurring, make sure you’re safe and call 111 immediately.
“These offenders are targeting innocent, hardworking people who provide an essential service to us from early in the morning to late in the evenings, seven days a week. We need to be there for them,” says Detective Woollett.
“We need your help to identify these offenders so Operation Star can help keep our communities safe.”
"If you have information about the recent aggravated robberies in Manawatu which may be of use to Police, ring us on 06 351 2600 or send a private message to our Facebook page,"
'If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111," he appealed.