Sunny Kaushal, Dairy and Business Owners Group Chairperson
The Dairy and Business Owners Group Chairperson, Sunny Kaushal, has said that there are limitations to what the association has the power to do to improve safety and store security other than advocating for legislative change for further protection and punitive actions against criminals targeting dairies and convenience stores nationwide.
After reporting victimisations, The Dairy and Business Owners Group investigated Crimes Act offences using official police data. One big concern for the association was the lack of granular detail.
"It seems the police cannot record the actual type of store broken into as this needs manual searches. That's why we have 'retail'," said Kaushal.
What Kaushal found was worrying. He found 125,000 victimisations in August, with the knowledge of the Crimes Act. Serious offences were 44 percent higher in 2022 compared to 2021, with 30,130 more Crimes Act offences for a total of 99,045 severe crimes than summary offences.
"One thankfully outgoing Labour Minister can be answered. No, Megan Woods, these aren't 'kids stealing 20c bag of lollies.' That answer, arrogant dismissiveness, told the retail sector and all Kiwis exactly what priority law and order had with the Labour government."
Kaushal continued that the 14th October electorate got the best way to respond to Labour's loss from majority rule.
"2023 was, above everything, a law and order election result. It is something the incoming National-led government with Act and New Zealand First needs to heed."
Read more from Sunny Kaushal below, starting on page 74:
