Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, May 31, 2023
The Government is continuing to support retailers with additional funding for the highly popular Fog Cannon Subsidy Scheme, Police and Small Business Minister Ginny Andersen announced today.
“The Government is committed to improving retailers’ safety,” Ms Andersen said.
“I have seen first-hand the difference fog cannons are making. Not only do they help prevent crime, but they also give retailers peace of mind. With 582 installations completed, and 1664 applications approved, the scheme has proved to be incredibly popular. I am pleased to be able to expand the scheme with an extra $11 million to continue to give eligible retailers across New Zealand certainty that they can get a fog cannon if they need one.”
Ms Anderson emphasises on the need to tackle the problem at both ends and ensure stopping retail crime in the first place. The government has also expanded a circuit breaker programme targeting recidivist child offenders into Hamilton, Christchurch and Auckland City and Ms Andersen said they are making excellent progress on their goal to achieve 1800 more police officers on the front line.
She said, “Fog cannons can help deter ram raids and burglary and reduce the risk of people being harmed. The dense cloud of fog is highly disorienting and prevents attackers from targeting cash, stock, or workers.”
Ms Anderson said that in her interactions with the retailers, many small retailers have told her the scheme is working well. For many small retailers, the upfront cost of a fog cannon is beyond their budget. Keeping that in consideration, in February the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment opened applications for the $4000 subsidy.
Demand has been strong, with the number of daily applications being received by MBIE significantly increasing since April. As part of the increase in funding for the Fog Cannon Subsidy Scheme further consideration will be given to ensuring there is better integration with the safety measures provided through Police’s Retail Crime Prevention Programme.
Speaking at a post-cabinet press conference this week, prime minister Chris Hipkins said the Fog Cannon Subsidy scheme made a difference for retailers that could not afford the regular costs, particularly those who were renting the premises. “The retail crime spike that we have been experiencing is utterly unacceptable,” he said.
Asked whether it was concerning to see the rise in applications for the fog cannon subsidy, Hipkins said it was about providing businesses comfort and support. However, he said he also had an “unrelenting” focus on targeting the root causes of offending.
Hipkins said he was proud of the support his government had provided for frontline police officers. On Thursday, June 1, 2023 he will be attending a police graduation ceremony to welcome new recruits.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
