125,000 retail crimes in 2022 smashes records, but 2023 looks worse.

1 August 2023

Official Police data shows the retail crime emergency smashed records in 2022 confirming the worst fears of retailers and retail workers that their safety is a low priority.

“The chickens came home to roost in 2022 but 2023 is looking worse,” says Sunny Kaushal, chair of the Dairy and Business Owners Group.

“In 2022, 125,534 offences were reported to Police by retailers. That’s up a massive 61,558 offences on 2021 and just this increase, is more than every retail crime from 2015 and 2016.

“Society is broken when retailers last year reported on average, 14 retail crimes every hour of every day.  Is this the best Kiwi society can aspire to 2023? 

“No consequences can be seen in 2023 to April.  Already, a massive 45,046 offences have been reported to Police by retailers, dwarfing every retail crime reported in 2017. Police in 2023 have attended 1:10 crimes and made 1,041 arrests. That’s just 2.3 per-cent.

“As we keep getting bollards, we know, rank and file police are just as frustrated as we are.

“This crime freight train has been coming down the tracks ever since Police HQ, in 2017, took its foot off retail crime with a new ‘operating model’.  It’s like someone turned the law-and-order switch to off.   

“In 2022, Police only attended one retail crime out of every nine reported. The median arrest rate in 2022 was a paltry two per-cent.  Two per-cent.  That’s means 98 per-cent of offenders literally get away robbing us.

“Back in 2015, ‘the good old days,’ there were “just” 27,099 retail crimes but Police got to one in two with 45 per-cent arrested. Active policing worked under the ‘old’ model.

“Our people now struggle with the 111 service with one recently telling us that when they finally got through, Police were prioritising ramraids over burglary.  A real concern because many live where they work.

“It’s clear going back to the ‘old’ Police operating model and actively policing retail crime worked to deter offenders and offending.  In 2015, there was a 50/50 chance of arrest but in 2023, it’s flipped to a 97.7% chance of getting away with it.

“This is why we need reform to the laws around Citizens’ Arrest and self-defence to give Kiwis the tools to stop rampant disorder.  To get the crime genie back into the bottle. 

“We’ve put this to Ministers of Police going back to Mr Hipkins because Police data confirms the crime emergency is really a crisis.  What we’re doing isn’t working and needs to change fast because 2023 is worse and we don’t want another murder,” Mr Kaushal said.