Retail crime up 38% in two months!

Newshub reports:

Foodstuffs’ boss says the spike in retail crime, which has seen brazen offenders assaulting staff members, is “not acceptable” and is calling for change.

Data collected from New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square stores, released on Wednesday, found a 38.2 percent increase in retail crime between February and April this year – an average of 37 crimes a day.

Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin said store owners have “never seen retail crime at these levels”.

“It’s an extremely concerning trend and it’s unacceptable.”

He said in one case, a repeat offender stole 31 whole eye, scotch and sirloin fillets over several weeks – costing the supermarket almost $3200.

Footage of some of the burglaries shows threats, intimidation and abusive behaviour towards customers and staff.

One crime shows a member of the public punching a staff member in the head. Footage of a second crime shows a man walking into a supermarket with a metal pipe before threatening a staff member with it.

The issue is here a lack of fear of consequences. Many of these thefts are brazen with no attempt to hide their identity.