Brash robbers’ blatant heist

"You never know what could've happened."

Bhavika Killa

Bhavika Killa could hardly believe her eyes that the people robbing wine from her grocery store would have the gall to look at her while they did it.

About 3.30pm on Wednesday the thieves entered the Vogeltown Four Square in New Plymouth, which Killa owns with her husband Hitesh and began loading up a bag with bottles of wine.

‘‘They were looking at us as they did it and they knew we were watching them,’’ Killa said.

‘‘They just put the alcohol in their bag and then ran off. We didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know that they would do that. This was very obvious, he was doing it right in front of you.’’

She said her husband had attempted to stop the pair leaving the store but the men shoved him out of the way in their bid to escape.

‘‘They knew what they wanted and they were going to get it.

‘‘They were determined, they dropped it (the bag) outside as well but they stopped and picked it back up.’’

Killa’s husband ran outside to see if he could catch the men but he wasn’t able to.

However a couple of people who had been parked outside the store followed the pair and were able to direct police to their location and the men were arrested a mere 500m away.

The couple were grateful for the assistance.

‘‘Without them they would have got away, we really appreciate that.’’

Killa said despite the men not threatening the couple or brandishing weapons, small business owners were becoming more suspicious of people coming through the door.

‘‘You never know what could’ve happened.

‘‘It’s scary, you never know who is going to walk in the door.’’

On Thursday it was business as usual at the busy Four Square and Killa said she felt comfortable being behind the counter despite the ordeal the day before.

‘‘You can’t let it affect you. You just have to go on, I guess.’’

In June Police Minister Paula Bennett announced an $1.8 million package for robbery prevention at dairies, superettes and small local businesses.

Those assessed as high risk could apply for money for panic buttons, DNA spray against offenders, fog cannons and time safes.

To qualify for the funding stores would be required to meet certain criteria, including the risk posed to them of being targeted and details of current security measures.

Police have said there are many businesses eligible in the region but officers were working with the owners of dairies and other small locally-owned businesses on crime prevention techniques.

Killa said the majority of dairies and superettes, including her’s, already had a range of security cameras and other devices.

Shop owners spoken to by Stuff believed tougher sentences would do more to deter would be robbers.