Government extends subsidy for fog cannons to all dairies
The Government yesterday announced new measures to combat retail crime — including a fog cannon subsidy scheme open to all small shops and dairies.
The announcement comes after the alleged murder of Sandringham shopkeeper Janak Patel last Wednesday.
Speaking at a postCabinet press conference, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said while youth crime “is now much lower than in the past, the risks and harm from ram raids and other retail crime is concerning communities and creating victims”.
“Shop owners and workers feel targeted. That’s unacceptable. Police are having a noticeable impact on offending rates, with ram raids during November down by 83 per cent compared with August — 13 so far this month against a high of 75 in August. But we need to lock that progress in and sustain it,” Ardern said.
“The initiatives we’re announcing today make this the most significant crime prevention financial package in recent memory.
“It backs up police actions, through funding to support crime prevention initiatives, such as better street lighting and cameras and by investing in more fog cannons.”
It comes as many dairies across the country shut their stores yesterday for two hours to protest what were considered insufficient Government measures to address crime following the alleged murder of Janak Patel.
A group also assembled outside Ardern’s electorate office in Mt Albert. The superette was within Ardern’s electorate.
The dairy didn’t qualify for a Government-subsidised fog cannon because it had not experienced enough crime, the NZ Herald reported earlier.
Ardern said funding of $4000 will be available for each shop to have the fog cannon installed through an approved supplier.