Rotorua dairy owners

Dairies closed their doors to protest crime response

Rotorua dairy owners who joined a nationwide “vigil” to pay tribute to slain Auckland dairy worker Janak Patel say it was important to make a stand.

Dairies nationwide closed their doors between 12.30pm and 2.30pm yesterday to protest what were considered insufficient Government measures to address crime following last week’s fatal stabbing.

It comes as the Government has announced a multi-million dollar package to tackle retail crime and reoffending. The package included a new $4 million fund to support councils in Auckland, Hamilton, and the Bay of Plenty with crime prevention programmes, a new fog cannon subsidy scheme, and an extension to the $6m Retail Crime Prevention fund to include aggravated robberies.

Patel, 34, was fatally stabbed last week following an alleged aggravated robbery at the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham. His funeral took place on Sunday.

Springfield Superette owner Raj Kumar was one of at least four dairy owners in Rotorua who took part in the nationwide vigil.

Photos / Andrew Warner Milesh Kumar from Ngapuna dairy closed his store today as part of a protest against attacks on dairy owners.