Funding to fight armed robbers

The Government has pledged to make $1.8m available to shopkeepers, dairy owners and local businesses who are battling a spate of aggravated robberies.

A significant number of robberies across the upper North Island have been reported in the past few weeks, including the armed robbery of two cash-intransit vans, a Northland Warehouse, various dairies and the Super Liquor Store in Kerikeri.

Police Minister Paula Bennett announced the $1.8m grant for family owned and independent businesses so they can increase security, following concerns raised about security and prevention.

It follows a police and Crimestoppers launch of a concerted campaign to crack down on aggravated robberies,with rewards now being offered in return for information that leads to the prosecution of offenders.

Businesses can apply for cofunding for items like panic alarms, fog cannons, time safes, and DNA spay.

Police would identify the high risk businesses and they would be invited to apply for a grant, Bennett said. Police would fund half of the security measures, which Bennett predicted would apply to up to 600 businesses.

‘‘Aggravated robbery is a serious crime. These criminals need to know that they could face 14 years in prison and they’re much more likely to get caught now police have these new measures in place.’’

Bennett said there’s ‘‘no doubt’’ the number of aggravated robberies has gone up, and the profile of the offenders are ‘‘generally aged around 25 years and under’’.

‘‘Some of it is them feeding of the glory of it all ... there’s nothing glorified about being caught.’’

‘‘We’re taking this issue seriously. We want to stop these awful crimes from happening to innocent victims in the first place and make sure these cowards are off the streets.’’

Bennett said establishing the high risk businesses would involve ‘‘overlaying’’ police intelligence of high-crime areas. She said there were ‘‘distinct hot spots’’ across New Zealand.

‘‘[Police] can do that analysis to work out who has the highest risk...We see between 500-600 business being deemed high-risk, and then probably another 500 close to that, may be eligible for some funding towards some kind of measure within the dairy.’’