Crime at ‘crisis point’ as breakins increase

CHRISTCHURCH: A fedup Christchurch business owner says she feels violated and believes crime in the city has reached ‘‘crisis point’’.

It follows another flurry of breakins around the city where nine businesses were targeted.

Some happened in the electorate of government minister and Wigram MP Dr Megan Woods, who concedes there is a crime problem in her hometown.

Police were first called to a robbery at the Cranford Ale House in St Albans at about 9.15pm on Sunday.

But it was a threehour period between 3.30am and 6.30am on

Monday where the breakins swelled, eight commercial premises being targeted.

Hornby’s Liquor Centre was one of many that awoke to a cleanup this morning after a group of offenders took to its premises with an axe shortly after 4am.

Although a fog cannon repelled the mob, the store was left with thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Owner Wendy Morrison said the problem was as bad as ever.

‘‘This is not normal. I’ve been in this business now for 2627 years, I’ve owned it for four years, and in those four years I have seen a dramatic increase in all sorts of crimes to do with businesses like this.

‘‘We never experienced anything like it.’’

Ms Morrison said a lack of consequences was a major ingredient and believed legislative changes were required.

‘‘There is nothing there to actually say to these guys ‘hey, you can’t do this and get away with it’.

‘‘At the moment, all they’re being told is ‘we can do this, we can get away with it’.

‘‘What are we left? We’re left with the cleaning up bills. The fear that your staff have going when something like this happens, you’re dealing with that as well.

‘‘There’s nothing to say they won’t come here in daylight.’’

Things like fog cannons had been effective, but ‘‘a lot more’’ needed to be done, Ms Morrison said.

Glass was left strewn along the pavement of Halswell’s Lillian Street after a fish and chip shop and an adjoining hair salon were broken into about 6.30am on Monday.

Cherie Lee, who coowns a neighbouring dairy, said she was worried.

‘‘It’s really hard to run a business at the moment, especially a small business, because all of the costs are going up.

‘‘And if safety isn’t being provided and no staff want to come [and work for us].’’

The city councillor for the Hornby ward, Mark Peters, called for a greater police presence out west.— RNZ