More east Auckland retailers are repairing the damage caused to their businesses during the latest ram-raids carried out in east Auckland.
Police say they’re investigating a burglary at Pakuranga Plaza which was reported at about 11.50pm on April 12.
A police spokesperson says it’s understood the offenders used a vehicle to gain entry to the shopping centre and then drove into a business to “gain further entry within the complex”.
“Those involved have taken a number of items from the premises before fleeing on foot, abandoning the vehicle at the scene.
“Police are committed to locating those responsible and holding them to account and our enquiries are well underway.”
Photos taken by the Times at the scene the following morning show police tape used to cordon off an entry to the plaza beside the Porterhouse Grill restaurant.
A police officer and security guard were present as were several people working to repair the damage caused to the building.
Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown says he’s “appalled” to learn the plaza was ram-raided.
“Under Labour’s soft-on-crime approach to law and order we’re seeing ram-raids take place every 10 hours with businesses bearing the brunt.
“We need clear consequences for the young people committing these crimes which National will deliver so we restore law and order in New Zealand.”
Meanwhile, another local business was targeted by offenders the morning after the Pakuranga Plaza was broken into.
A police spokesperson says officers are making enquiries following an attempted burglary at a commercial address in Thomas Road, Flat Bush, at about 3.26am on April 13.
“Upon arrival, despite some damage, no entry was gained into the premises. Enquiries are ongoing to locate the vehicle believed to be involved.”
The two incidents follow a large number of ram-raid and smash-and-grab burglaries at businesses across the country, including in east Auckland, over the past year, many of which were carried out by children and youths.
They come less than a week after the Labour Government said its policies on youth crime are “making a difference”.
Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis, and Police Minister Ginny Anderson say there’s been a 65 per cent reduction in ram-raids in the six months following the announcement of the Government’s ‘Better Pathways’ package and 82 per cent of children referred to the ‘Kotahi te Whakaaro’ programme have not reoffended.
“Of the 147 children engaged in the Government’s Kotahi te Whakaaro programme only 27 have reoffended,” Sepuloni says.
“The programme has also supported 373 siblings and wider family members, ensuring we’re turning the lives around of some of our most vulnerable young people.
“Alongside these actions we’ve seen a drop in the number of reported ram-raid incidents.
“In August 2022, there were 116 reported ram-raids. Six months after the expansion of Kotahi te Whakaaro there were 40.
“We know victims of ram-raids and the general public want to see that number fall even further, and we are committed helping offenders turn their lives around as well as support victims and shop owners to ensure they receive the help they need to recover from these crimes.”
Anderson says youth crime has been “trending down for 10 years”.
“We have then seen a spike since the pandemic. That’s why we’ve taken action. The drop in ram-raids shows our approach is working.
“Police are using their improved resources to target the offenders, get them into the support systems provided by our social services and stop more crimes from occurring.”
People with information on the ram-raid at Pakuranga Plaza or the business in Thomas Road, Flat Bush, can phone police on 105 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
