Safety digicam footage from current ram raids exhibits the lengths thieves will go to steal little to no money.
In one of many raids on a fish and chip store in Halswell, a automobile is pushed up in opposition to the store entrance earlier than an offender is caught on digicam attempting to kick within the door to realize entry. When that fails, the automobile is then pushed into the door once more and a person enters the store, grabs the until and runs off.
It was one among a spate of 9 ram raids on companies, together with Westfield mall in Riccarton, late final month.
Police say they have no idea if the raids are linked.
Halswell Seafood Centre proprietor Anson Chen stated the until was “just about empty”. However the injury was estimated at $5000, which he understood his landlord must cope with.
His different enterprise, Noodle Delights subsequent door, was additionally ram-raided.
The thief left the until after seeing it was empty, Chen stated.
The injury meant the fish and chip needed to open later than regular.
“It’s simply fairly horrible that it’s occurred later within the week. Friday is the busiest day of the week,” he stated.
A police spokesperson stated they had been nonetheless attempting to find out whether or not the raids had been linked to break-ins at two different Halswell Rd companies within the early hours of the identical morning, a break-in at outside clothes store Earth Sea Sky in Addington on June 23, a ram raid at Westfield Riccarton on June 25, a ram raid at The Hub Hornby on June 30, a ram raid at Chemist Warehouse South Metropolis on July 1, and at Noel Leeming Hornby Mega Centre on July 2.
In the meantime, a youth who stormed a dairy with a BB gun and filmed his crime was this week sentenced to 3 years’ jail.
Simon Junior Bom-Harris, 17, theft of the Port Hills Minimart on November 30 final 12 months was so severe it was transferred out from the Youth Court docket.
Police figures launched to The Star present its retail crime unit has responded to 1100 ram raids, smash and grabs and different shoplifting incidents because it was launched on July 14 final 12 months.
Sergeant Melissa Shaw stated the unit had laid fees in opposition to 272 folks. 300 trespass notices have additionally been served, she stated.
The unit focuses on “prolific” and “high-risk” offenders who account for a big proportion of thefts within the metropolis, Shaw stated.
She stated police had heard from companies the retail crime unit was making a distinction.
“One of many key advantages of the staff is the power for our workers to strengthen relationships with enterprise homeowners,” she stated.
“We stay dedicated to tackling retail offending and persevering with to progress work with our native companies.”
Separate knowledge from Statistics NZ exhibits there have been 158 adults sentenced in Canterbury courts for retail theft in 2025, the best quantity since 2017. There have been 111 adults sentenced for retail theft in Canterbury in 2024, 130 in 2023, and 65 in 2022.
The Hub Hornby centre supervisor Jason Marsden stated he had seen retail crime plateau as police prosecutions rose over the 12 months, however he believed the primary good thing about the retail crime staff had been streamlining the reporting course of for companies.
“For the final 12 months or so, I can’t say that we’ve seen a dramatic enhance or a dramatic lower,” he stated.
Regardless of The Hub being focused by a ram raid final month, Marsden stated he did “not assume issues are spiking”.
Retail NZ chief government Carolyn Younger stated the retail crime staff was crucial to lowering offending.
“Retail crime has come down during the last 12 months,” she stated.
“Having a criminal offense unit reduces crime within the metropolis as a result of they’re actually centered on who the people are which are offending within the shops, after which they’ll really goal and work with them.”
