New data shows that retail crime increased by almost 40 per cent last year, another sign of crime surging under Labour, National’s Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

“A 39 per cent increase in a single year clearly indicates that Labour’s soft-on-crime approach is failing and only leading to more pain and suffering for Kiwi businesses and families.

“Retail crime levels are going from bad to worse. In 2022, a startling 292 retail crime incidents were recorded every single day – up from 140 per day in 2018.

“A regional breakdown of the data provided by the Police Minister shows this isn’t only happening in isolated areas. Eight out of twelve policing districts reported at least a 100 per cent increase in retail crime incidents since 2018.

“In Canterbury, retail crime was up 53 per cent in 2022, while in Counties Manukau it was up 63 per cent.

“Labour is utterly asleep at the wheel on crime. The tsunami of ram raids, retail crime, youth offending, and rampant growth in gang membership are the direct result of Labour’s soft approach to law and order.

“Three Police Ministers later, and there are still no solutions on the horizon. Poto Williams thought gangs weren’t a problem while Chris Hipkins helped just 23 businesses in eight months with his ‘Retail Crime Prevention Package’. Now the Government has given Stuart Nash is a second go in the portfolio, a clear sign Labour has run out of ideas.

“Unlike Labour, National has a plan to restore law and order. It’s time for the Government to get tough on crime, and it should start by adopting National’s plan to back police and tackle gangs, and our plan to combat youth offending.

"Unless the Government gets serious about fighting crime and cracking down on this offending, criminals will continue to feel like they can operate with impunity, putting Kiwi lives and businesses at risk.”

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