Positive results for addressing Retail Crime in city centre

In December Auckland City Centre Police started a new initiative to target retail crime offenders. Since this started, Police has arrested 14 serial offenders and laid 148 charges relating to theft from retailers, and a number of these offenders have been remanded in custody. As a result, Police crime data will show that theft offences in the city centre have gone up since December which doesn’t necessarily mean more crime – just more arrests. Police has also had good feedback from a number of retailers about their focus, which is great to hear.

A focus on retail offenders will continue over the coming months, along with vehicle crime, which is an ongoing issue. The new Area Commander, Grant Tetzlaff is confident that they can have an impact in this area of crime too.

The importance of Crime Prevention measures:  Whilst Police continue to focus on offenders, businesses also have a part to play in reducing the likelihood of a crime occurring. Things such as store layout, the location of targeted products in the store, security, and greeting people who enter the store are some simple things to consider. Retail NZ has some handy information about this. We can also arrange for a visit with the Police prevention team to discuss options. Contact us to arrange this.

In addition, reporting crime is important, as is being active on the StoreWatch communications network. Find out more about StoreWatch here.

Find out more about what’s in place to support safety in the city centre here.