Business / Crime

New retail crime figures should be wake-up call says Dairy and Business Owners' Group

12:12 pm on 20 March 2024

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The Dairy and Business Owners' Group say startling new retail crime figures should be a wake-up call for the government that action is urgently needed.

Police data released to the group shows retail crime tripled in three years - from just over 50,000 crimes reported in 2020, to almost 149,000 crimes in 2023.

That averages out to more than 400 crimes reported a day in 2023, at locations such as dairies, service stations, supermarkets, shops, bottle stores and restaurants.

Dairy and Business Owners' Group chairman Sunny Kaushal says violence against staff is common; last year, six retailers a day were assaulted at work, and sexual assaults were occurring too.

Kaushal spoke to Charlotte Cook.