The New Zealand Government has appointed four members to the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for victims of retail crime, including Michael Hill’s national retail manager in New Zealand Michael Bell.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee also confirmed that Waikato community advocate and business leader Ash Parmar, Foodstuffs’ North Island retail and property general manager Lindsay Rowles, and Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young will also chair the new division.
“The group, led by [newly appointed] Sunny Kaushal, can now move at pace to table proposed legislation for the Government to consider as part of its plan to restore law and order,” Goldsmith said.
“I’m particularly interested to see some options on how security guards and business owners can better protect themselves.”
Goldsmith said the key goals are to ensure there are 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029 and to reduce serious repeat youth offending by 15 per cent.
“I am pleased the targeted expression-of-interest process attracted a range of high-calibre individuals who are committed to making New Zealand a safer place for our retailers and their workers,” McKee added.
“New Zealand has seen an exponential growth in retail crime over the past five years, with an 86 per cent increase in retail crime of all types and, very concerningly, a 72 per cent increase in sexual assault-related offences at retail locations.
“Around 230,000 New Zealanders work in the retail sector, with increasing numbers experiencing the personal and economic impacts of violent and theft-related crimes.”
Young, the leader of the national retail peak body Retail NZ, said the organisation’s connection across retail will be an important source of information for the MAG.
“I am looking forward to working with Sunny, Lindsay, Michael and Ash to really make a difference for retailers and their staff,” Young said.
According to Retail NZ, retail crime is an issue that it has been working on for several years and the association has a number of projects underway.
“In consultation with members, Retail NZ is developing a range of practical solutions to offer better protection to retailers and their staff,” the firm reported. “Retail NZ has also been highly supportive of the Facial Recognition Trial and the use of technology more generally, to benefit the wider retail sector and we look forward to seeing the use of technology increase across New Zealand.”
The first priorities for the MAG are to empower empower security guards to deal with retail offenders, enable the use of facial recognition technology, and allow retail business owners to deal with shoplifters.