The charging of two more accused with murder in the killing of Auckland-based Janak Patel has brought the spotlight back on the safety of small businesses.
The Sandringham dairy worker was stabbed to death but only one of the three arrested was initially charged with murder. On March 8, 2023, charges against the remaining two also were upgraded from robbery to murder.
After a public outcry following Patel’s killing in November 2022, the government announced new funds to improve security, including subsidies for small store owners to buy a machine that can create fog and sound an alarm in case of an attack.
The Fog Cannon Subsidy Scheme was rolled out just over a month back, and only small retailers like dairies, bottle stores and service stations can apply for the grant of up to $4,000. Minister for Small Business Ginny Andersen told The Indian Weekender 500 shop owners had successfully applied for funds as of March 10, 2023.
“Of this, 292 dairy owners have been approved for the scheme. I have been informed that to date, no dairy owner had been declined,” she said, adding 48 of the 88 fog cannons installed so far have been put up at dairy stores.
But many storeowners The Indian Weekender spoke to say they are not keen on installing fog machines. Tapendra Singh Sokhi, who has been operating Highway Dairy in Mt Wellington, Auckland, since 2003, said fog machines aren’t effective.
“I have been a victim of ram raids, thefts and other crimes at least 40 times. I can tell you from my experience that no fog cannon can save a robbery or a ram raid. The government has asked me to apply for the subsidy, but I am not interested. When your shop is being ram-raided or robbed, tell me who is in the mental state to activate a fog cannon?” he said.
Rakeshbhai Patel, who has five dairy shops across New Zealand, said the scheme is not just ineffective but also adds recurring costs. "I don't feel it serves any important purpose. Moreover, there is a maintenance cost of $500 every year, which the shopkeeper has to bear."
Recent government data shows retail crime rose by 39 per cent from 2018 to 2022. An average of 292 retail crimes are recorded daily, up from 140 per day in 2018. Statistics released to RNZ under the Official Information Act show cases of ram raids more than quadrupled in two years, and seven in every 10 arrested were aged under 18.
Not all shopowners are dismissive of the fog machine though. Ravindran Kumar Perbhu Patel, who has operated Jalaram Dairy in New Lynn for 30 years, took up the government’s latest offer and had a fog cannon installed at a subsidised cost of $250.
“I had a robbery in my shop about five months ago. Though I did have a fog cannon in my shop earlier, a new one has been installed which is modern and connected to CCTV. I think prevention is better than cure,” he said
National Party spokesperson Mark Mitchell has criticised the government’s handling of worsening law and order. While measures like installing fog cannons were needed they were just “bandaids on the symptoms”, he told RNZ, adding he had heard from some retailers "they've lost complete confidence in this government".
"What they want to see is they want to see safer communities. They don't want these youth an juvenile offenders feeling like they can operate with impunity in...what's been created in a very permissive environment for them,” he said.