WHO IS NEXT? Fear and vigil after dairy worker dies
Colleagues of a Hamilton man stabbed while working at an Auckland dairy say ‘‘someone else will die’’ if something isn’t done to tackle a tide of crime hitting small stores.
One shop owner says New Zealand is worse than South Africa, another says another death is likely, and even the city’s mayor wants action so retailers don’t start to arm themselves.
Waikato retail groups are holding a vigil for Janak Patel, 34, of Hamilton, who died after an alleged robbery of an Auckland dairy on Wednesday night.
Organisers are expecting between 60 and 70 people at the gathering in the car park at The Base mall at noon tomorrow.
Patel was attacked in the street near the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham and police are hunting his killer.
His sister said through an intermediary yesterday that ‘‘I need justice for my brother’’.
‘‘We urge the Government to urgently catch the criminal who has taken our brother’s life, and hold the murderer accountable and give him the toughest punishment,’’ she said.
Patel had worked in a Cambridge dairy for six months before moving to Auckland, SuperValue Parkwood owner Manish Thakkar said.
Thakkar’s own shop has been open four years and robbed about eight times, and last month he warned Police Minister Chris Hipkins that someone was going to die. The latest robbery at Thakkar’s store was on a Saturday night in October, while he was holidaying in Amsterdam, and the robber had a knife. ‘‘They stole around $40,000 of cigarettes.’’ Thakkar had to fly home due to his staff being too scared to work past 6pm.
His wife, Rupali, said robberies made finding staff difficult.
‘‘One of our staff members was so scared he started getting heart pains and had to stop coming to work.’’
The couple said there were several dairy owners who wanted to shut up shop but could not find a buyer or had a long lease.
People were moving to Australia and Canada or going back to India.
‘‘They say what is the point in living in this country? When we came here 20 years ago, the country was so safe and secure. Now people are now comparing it to South Africa.
‘‘But this is worse because South Africa has strict laws whereas New Zealand doesn’t.’’
Thakkar said the police were doing a perfect job. The problem was the consequences.
‘‘The law is too soft here. There needs to be law changes, so it can be controlled. They should be punished for repeated offences.’’
Thakkar has been assessed for help from the $6 million crime prevention fund announced in May, and paid the required $260 assessment fee over a month ago but the process has now stalled.
Liquor store owner Ash Parmar has stores in Ngāruawāhia and Huntly, and said the death had been numbing for the business community.
He felt the Government had used the $6 million fund as a distraction and the problem had not happened overnight.
‘‘No-one is talking about the core issue of punishment. The court system is very lenient, we desperately need the Government to admit to that. I am not just talking about youth crime, I am also talking about adults who are also doing these crimes.
‘‘It will get worse, someone else will die. They are not going to stop, it is not going to change in one night, criminals are not scared of the justice system.
‘‘Come work in our shops, see how bad these people are, how high they are sometimes when they come into the shops.
‘‘We see them every day, they are capable of doing really bad stuff.’’
Police knew this type of crime disrupted retailers’ lives and livelihoods and caused harm, a statement from acting Hamilton city area commander Scott Miller said.
‘‘We understand the concern expressed across the community and retail sector, and we will continue to work hard to hold offenders to account.’’
Prevention staff had given advice on visits to ‘‘numerous businesses’’, worked with three major Hamilton malls to support security staff, and were also looking into holding group meetings about safety, in partnership with the Hamilton Central Business Association, Miller said. There was also a security checklist on the Retail Crime Prevention Hub website.
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said the fatal robbery could have just as easily occurred in Hamilton and there was potential one could still.
Southgate is concerned shop owners will start to take matters into their own hands and start arming themselves.
‘‘That is something we don’t want to see because we don’t want anyone hurt.’’
Southgate believes the Government is working through the details of the proposals that she has given them, such as bollards, number plate recognition cameras, along with work around youth.
She backed custodial sentences to remove the worst offenders from the community.