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Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Mike's Minute: Yet more questions about solving crime


It’s a sad, old business when part of your market update is the cost of the violent crime you are having to deal with.

Michael Hill this week talked of the sort of things businesses talk of; the downturn, the mood, the spend and the consumer. All of it's bad right now for obvious reasons.

What is interesting is they said of the various countries they operate in that New Zealand is the worst in terms of sentiment.

I wonder why.

But they talked too of the cost of security and the cost of crime, the cost of closing one of their shops because of crime.

They are not the first of course. We have previously heard from Briscoes and the millions they have to put aside each year to offset the carnage that takes place at their outlets.

Last week One NZ closed one of their shops because of damage and crime.

They told the stories of the fear of staff, all the security issues and training required and the manager who was held by the scruff of the neck for ten minutes over a returned product.

Who needs it?

That’s before you get to the astonishing footage of the petrol station attendant, who got the life beaten out of him by some thug who literally laid into him and wouldn’t stop.

He now awaits surgery on an eye, among other injuries.

So, the question is - when does it stop? When do things change? How many videos do we need to watch before the much hyped and promised crackdown happens?

The 18-year-old from the petrol station has been arrested and charged. How many years does he go to prison for? Does he go to prison? Does he have a sob story?

When do major New Zealand retailers stop having to regale the sharemarket with their profit-sapping stories of jungle behaviour and frightened staff?

No Government can solve this sort of malaise instantly, or overnight, or perhaps even quickly.

But my word, the pressure is on. When you watch that petrol station video, and we all should, we look third world, and we look lawless.

My fear is the treatment of such behaviour still leans towards forgiveness, as opposed to what should actually be happening.

Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike - can I ask, to your statement re "The 18 year old > arrested & charged..", are we going to see the Justice system in Auckland, listen to the accused family verbalizing about how good they, are, they just mixed with the wrong crowd - ra de ra.

Along with a sympathetic Lawyer who will 'cry me a rive of tears', that this young person should not go to jail, you know Judge, ra de ra (again).

And said 'criminal' gets home detention - with the potential of re-offending!

I read in a NZ Newspaper recently, that Lawyers want change in courts, but not the change that "We the People would like to see".

Also I am surprised we did not have the Chief Censor ensure that any video's of violent NZ robberies are banned on any social media platform (and TV News), think of the harm to those who will be 'affected by such violence'.

If Australia can do it, have done it - I am waiting to see NZ follow suit.

Majority said...

Don’t forget the cultural report, the sentence ‘discounts’ and the name suppression to protect his future employment prospects.

The bleeding hearts would never agree, here, but Singapore crime levels reflect their use of the cane.

We’ve most certainly “spared the rod and spoiled the child” in that discipline is an unknown concept.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust should be involved in a complete overhaul of NZ’s sentencing system and move sympathy from the perpetrator to the victim.

There needs to be a clear understanding that criminal behaviour results in extremely unpleasant consequences.

Anonymous said...

As a shareholder in mhj I've been aware of this problem for about 24 months. My issue was I did not think it would be as bad as it got. Shame on labour and their soft on crime approach.

If I could change one thing in life it would be consequences for poor behavior and actions. I know the preceeding sentence has already lost the lefties as they don't believe in this approach, but as soon as the lefties get ram raided, stabbed, beaten up, threatened they will change their thinking real quick....I haven't mentioned the truly heinous crimes such as rape and murder that the left try to sweep under the carpet. This again will annoy the left that read this as dame Jacinda keeps telling everyone there is no crime in nz....the stats and reality tell the truth however. The truth is important, something that's lost on the left.

Anonymous said...

To top it off Mike, mhj has lost about 30% this week....thanks labour. If you read their report it because of nz! The state of the economy and crime to their stores. Labour at their greatest.

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