New Zealand’s Police Minister Stuart Nash has made $1.8 million in funds available for retail businesses at high-risk of being victims of crime following a review which found that financial barriers are deterring businesses from protecting themselves.
Under the plan devices like ausible alarms, fog cannons and DNA spray will be made available to retailers which police identify as high risk.
It follows a trial that saw three locations, two in Auckland and one in Wellington, fitted with equipment last year.
“I was concerned to learn that many shop owners declined to take part in the scheme because the costs were prohibitive,” said Nash.
“The previous scheme required businesses to contribute 50 per cent of the cost but that was beyond the reach of many. A fog cannon can cost around $4,000, while a DNA spray system can be more than $3,000 and an audible alarm can be around $1700.
As many as 400 businesses are expected to qualigy for the scheme across the country, while the government has also made it clear that other businesses can contact police to have constables visit and provide advice on crime prevention techniques.
“I have reviewed the way this fund is allocated and decided that greater financial support is needed to make this a viable option for the most at-risk business owners. Many of these businesses, such as dairies and superettes, have only very small profit margins and were facing a potential bill of several thousand dollars for these crime prevention tools.
“The government has increased the subsidy so at-risk business owners will contribute no more than $250 towards the cost of a fog cannon. This is a fraction of the bill they faced previously. I encourage all eligible shop owners to take advantage of the changes to this scheme. Already a further 17 stores have installed the fog cannons during December and January, while eight more are awaiting fit-out,” Nash said.
One prevention measure offered, a fog cannon, dowses a given store in thick fog that police claim will prevent thieves from locating high value items.
“These are short term measures and the government remains focussed on longer term ways to reduce crime and improve public safety. Our coalition agreement with New Zealand First undertakes to work towards recruiting 1800 extra Police over three years. We are also targeting organised crime, which will interrupt the supply chains for methamphetamine and other drugs, so that we can remove the incentives for people to commit crimes to fund their habits.
“The original scheme was well-intentioned but imposed too many barriers on those businesses who needed it most. This is a more pragmatic and workable solution which makes better use of the existing fund. I encourage all small business owners who are concerned about crime prevention to talk to their local Police, who can offer specialist advice about enhancing security for staff and premises,” Nash continued.
