‘I was petrified, couldn’t sleep’
Bright yellow signs announce no cigarettes are sold at Calgary St dairy, off Auckland’s busy Dominion Rd, and owners Una and Andy Granger will serve you from behind heavyset bars.
The couple took over the shop a year ago and just before Christmas spent $1000 on a cage-like contraption that separates their counter from the public.
Although the couple haven’t been targeted, the previous owner was, and as armed robberies of dairies — usually for cigarettes — became more frequent Granger was “petrified” to leave Una alone in the shop. Three weeks ago they also stopped selling cigarettes as an extra precaution.
“I couldn’t sleep at night,” Granger told the Herald on Sunday this week.
“I thought, no, I have to put something like this up, and even then you’re not 100 per cent safe.
“We get a lot of comments from the public. They say it’s unfortunate but they’re glad to see someone is taking the initiative.”
Dozens of dairies are now operating from behind bars as aggravated robberies become more vicious. This week police arrested a teenager who allegedly attacked a Hamilton dairy worker with a machete. The victim, Sandip Patel suffered a fractured skull and cuts to his hands and head.
Last week another Waikato dairy worker was bashed with a hammer, suffering a serious eye injury.
Last year the National Government announced $1.8 million worth of measures to help stricken dairy owners, including a contribution towards sophisticated prevention methods.
The scheme was amended by incoming Labour, who instead announced $4000 fog cannons would be almost fully funded for about 420 businesses identified by police as high risk.
This week police national crime prevention manager Superintendent Eric Tibbott said 52 businesses had fog cannons installed, and the rollout would proceed at the rate of 10 businesses a week for the rest of the year.
Last year Granger called police several times for information on his eligibility but struggled to get information.
He concedes their store is likely considered low risk compared with others, but: “Any risk is risk, in my opinion.”
Streets away, Mt Roskill dairy owner Janine Burrow is relieved that after being targeted four times in a year, including having a gun pointed at her head, she hasn’t had any problems since October.
She was uncertain if eligible for a cannon.
“I haven’t heard from police at all. I don’t even know if it would do anything.”
Frustrated industry representative, Crime Prevention Group head Sunny Kaushal, said the fog cannons were an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and the “culture of fear” was out of control.
Kaushal knew of several stores investing in cannons and bars.
He dissuaded workers from arming themselves but said that as robberies became more violent, workers might have no choice but to keep weapons for protection.
“They fear for their lives and wonder who is going to be next. When they go to work they don’t know if they will leave alive.” she was