Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Dairy & Business Owners Group chair and Crime Prevention Group president Sunny Kaushal who has just been appointed to chair the new advisory group on retail crime. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
The Justice Minister has unveiled new rules about how members of the public will be able to "arrest" people under a revamped law aimed to tackle retail crime.
Goldsmith said currently no one, including retailers and security guards, were protected from civil or criminal liability if they arrest and detain a person stealing goods valued at less than $1000 during the day.
The reforms announced on Wednesday include:
- Changing the Crimes Act so citizens can intervene to stop any Crimes Act offence at any time of the day.
- Requiring a person making an arrest contact the police and follow their instructions.
- Clarifying restraints can be used, when reasonable, when making an arrest.
- Changing the defence of property provisions to the Crimes Act so it is clear that reasonable force may be used.
The changes would give businesses additional tools to deal with "those that are robbing them of their livelihood and economic growth," Goldsmith said.
Sunny Kaushal is chair of the ministerial advisory group for victims of retail crime, which was given an operating budget of $1.8 million a year for at least two years and tasked with making recommendations for the government to consider as part of its law and order plan.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and ministerial advisory group for victims of retail crime chair Sunny Kaushal. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
Goldsmith said the group had come up with sensible reforms that would enable retail offenders to be more readily stopped.
Goldsmith said the government would ensure that people working in the retail sector were being effectively protected and that offenders were caught and deterred from future offending.
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