‘People are afraid to enter our shops’: The grim reality of running a retail business behind a cage in South Auckland

A year ago, small businesses in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe were reporting brisk trade around the Indian festive season of Diwali.

But walking the streets of Papatoetoe on a sunny Friday afternoon in early October ahead of this year's Diwali celebrations, foot traffic appears to have dried up to a trickle.

Small business owners in the area say the decline in customer numbers is a consequence of protective measures they have installed over the past 12 months to prevent armed robberies.

Many jewellery shops have installed impregnable metal security doors at their entrances and thick metal bars inside windows.

And once customers enter a store selling valuable goods, they are served by retail staff who work behind menacing metal cages.

Small business owners say such security measures have reduced ram raids and aggravated robberies but, simultaneously, have deterred customers from entering the stores.

In August, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the government was continuing to track ahead of its violent crime reduction target.

Gurdeep Singh of Pooja Jewellers in Papatoetoe, who was hit on the head with a hammer during an aggravated robbery in June last year, described the claims as "laughable".

"We are not denying the statistics," he said. "We acknowledge the reduction in ram raids and aggravated robberies to some extent but the real question is - at what cost?

"Firstly, the incidents have reduced only because of the security measures we have put in place: the fog canons, bollards and, most importantly, the cages we have built around us. All this has made it near impossible for offenders to enter our stores.

"At the same time, these measures - particularly the cages - have increased customer anxiety so much that people are afraid to enter our shops."

Even if a customer entered Singh's store, they invariably looked like leaving as quickly as they could, he said.

"A few weeks back, a lady came to our store, looked at a few pieces and liked one," he recalled. "By the time we made the bill, anxiety overwhelmed her. She apologised saying the cage was making her feel very vulnerable and she needed to leave."

Other jewellery store owners in Papatoetoe said many customers appeared to be anxious just leaving the premises.

"Even if the customer feels safe in these cages we have built, they are extremely cautious while walking back to their cars," said Ravindra Singh, owner of Ravi Jewellers.

"What if somebody is watching them? What if they are attacked before they reach their vehicles?" he asked.

"Even we are fearful of going [to] our cars [parked in the area] in the evening. There is no peace of mind left doing business in Papatoetoe."

Mahesh Kumar, director of Roopdarshan, said customers in Auckland often appeared uneasy inside the fashion/jewellery outlets he owned in Papatoetoe and Mt Roskill.

Roopdarshan has been a target of armed robberies three times in the past, most recently in early October.

"You go to places like Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong. There, business is always done with a smile," Kumar said.

"But here, both of us - shopkeepers and customers - are always fearful these days.

"When we are showing them stuff and they are looking at it, at the back of our minds we are always thinking about what to do when the next group barges in with their faces covered and swinging their hammers."

Kumar said it had been especially difficult to recruit staff in recent months.

"Manning a retail shop should be the safest job, right? But it has become so dangerous, nobody wants to do it anymore," he said.

"The government wants to improve the economy and we need investment [to do so]," he said.

"Do you think I will put in money and expand my operations in a situation like this? I will think 1000 times before doing so."

TS Batra, owner of Batra's Fashion Villa, said Papatoetoe's growing Indian community was feeling "abandoned" as anxiety in the area rose over retail crime.

"When I moved to the area decades ago, there were only four or five Indian shops here," Batra said. "Now, the majority are Indian-owned, with the number exceeding 35.

"It is unfortunate the government is not serious about handling crime, at least in our area. The Indian community in Papatoetoe feels abandoned by the people who should be looking after us."

Batra said his family frequently felt on edge when working in the shop.

"One day a guy just came randomly to our shop and threatened us, saying, 'I will come tomorrow with my gun and shoot you'," he said. "Just imagine the anxiety it caused me and my family."

Many Papatoetoe business owners told RNZ there had been a noticeable increase in homelessness in the area.

Paramjeet Singh, owner of a printing centre in Papatoetoe and who was recently elected to the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board, said the community understood that some faced circumstances in their lives that forced them to live on the streets.

"We don't have any problem with [the homeless]," Paramjeet said. "Our issue is with all the associated problems. Papatoetoe is facing an unprecedented rise in street crime such as [bag] snatching, looting, threatening behaviour, breaking into cars, drug and alcohol abuse in broad daylight, and sometimes even violent fighting.

"People who don't live here or seldom visit South Auckland won't even believe this is happening right here in our largest city."

Paramjeet and other business owners called on social agencies to do more to support the homeless in and around Papatoetoe.

Chirag Ahuja, owner of fashion shop Akarshan, called on the government to be tougher on repeat offenders.

"Otherwise, the current situation in which a criminal has no fear of the law whatsoever will keep prevailing," he said.

"Putting out crime reduction data has no value for us," he said.

"The government should help us get rid of these cages. Businesses should be able to function without fear, which was the case a few years ago."

Paramjeet called on police to increase the number of foot patrols in Papatoetoe, noting that the patrols made a real difference to law and order in the neighbourhood during Diwali.

"We want this increase in patrolling to be a permanent feature in Papatoetoe throughout the year - not only during the festive season," Paramjeet said.

"Uniforms do make a difference," he said. "When offenders see increased police presence, they leave the area."

Police Minister Mark Mitchell acknowledged the operational risks small business owners were facing amid tough economic times.

"I spend a lot of time talking with retailers across the country, and I acknowledge the risks the sector faces from retail crime and the impact it has on the retailers personally, as well as on their staff and business," Mitchell said.

"The government has a very strong law and order agenda. We are focused on initiatives to disrupt criminal activity, including retail crime, and keep Kiwis safe. This is an ongoing priority.

"Senseless violence is unacceptable, and my message is clear: This government takes these matters seriously and will continue to take action."

The minister said the number of foot patrols in the area had increased significantly since the government took office.

"The picture we are seeing on the ground is clear," he said.

"Foot patrols are up significantly since this government has taken office, with a nationwide increase of 59 percent and a doubling in Counties Manukau.

"Police data shows in the last 12 months robberies have reduced in Auckland by 25 percent, in Wellington by 22 percent and Christchurch by 67 percent."

Mitchell outlined several new initiatives that had recently been introduced by the government to tackle retail crime.

"Police now have retail crime units or operations running across most police districts and have appointed a new retail coordinator who will support districts to address retail crime," he said.

"We have heard retailers who are asking for tougher sentencing for offenders. We have brought back 'three strikes' laws, and capped sentencing discounts at 40 percent, he said.

"We are starting to see progress, with the total number of victimisations in New Zealand having reduced by 20,000, he said.

"There is a lot more work to do, but we are taking the right steps to restore law and order."