June 4, 2022 7:00am by David Farrar

Dairy owners want arms

There are calls for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to declare a crime crisis as Auckland business owners grapple with a spate of violent robberies and ram raids.
It comes after a customer was stabbed at Sandringham Food Market during a robbery on Wednesday night. It’s the second time the store has been robbed recently and business owners are scared.
And it’s not the only store, Auckland has been gripped by a crime wave over the past few weeks with an increase in ram raid robberies.
Dairy and Business Association chair Sunny Kaushal told AM’s Ryan Bridge it’s time the Government acknowledged how serious the situation is.
“A sense of lawlessness is now gripping all of New Zealand and the soft on crime approach is not working. We are calling the Prime Minister to declare a crime emergency in New Zealand, it is that serious,” Kaushal told Bridge on Friday.
He said businesses are scared and angry and something has to be done.
“There is a lot of anger and frustrations among these businesses and communities now…It’s very serious because now even the customers aren’t safe.
“It’s very frightening and the business owners, you can imagine how seriously they are frightened and feeling fear and anger.”
He said several dairies are employing their own security guards but it’s just adding costs to businesses that are already struggling to stay afloat.
“It’s very hard to run a business in New Zealand at the moment because the state is failing to provide them security and safety.
“I can tell you 30 percent of the business owners who call me are asking how to get a gun licence. It’s become that serious because if the police and authorities are not able to save them they have to save themselves.”
Kaushal accused the Government of failing to keep business owners and customers safe.
“Yesterday when people were getting stabbed and robbed and assaulted on the other hand in Parliament the Government was wasting Parliament time repealing the three strikes law.”

Gun violence is occurring nightly, sometimes seven times a night.

Ram raids are occurring all the time.

Gang numbers and violence is exploding

Violent crime has skyrocketed 37% in the last three years

And the Government’s response is to ram through a law change which will reduce sentences for repeat serious violent and sexual offenders.