Motor Trade Association pushes for stronger protections against service station crime
Motor Trade Association pushes for stronger protections against service station crime | Insurance Business New Zealand
Motor & Fleet
Motor Trade Association pushes for stronger protections against service station crime
Association releases action plan to address crime surge
Motor & Fleet
By
Roxanne Libatique
The Motor Trade Association (MTA) has called on the New Zealand government to implement strategies aimed at safeguarding service station workers and retail businesses from criminal activities.
“Violent smash-and-grab robberies leave vulnerable workers injured and traumatised. Drive-off fuel theft hits the bottom line of independent service stations hard,” he said.
He emphasised that the impact of crime extends beyond businesses, affecting local communities as well.
According to police statistics, the first five months of this year saw 60 aggravated robberies and almost 12,000 thefts reported at service stations across the country.
Marshall pointed out that transforming service stations into highly secure facilities is not a preferred solution.
“That’s not the Kiwi way, and it’s not what service stations want either. We know this government takes crime particularly seriously – that’s why we have developed our plan to work with them on keeping people safe and secure, and to make a real difference,” he said.
Motor Trade Association’s action plan to address retail crime surge
The MTA’s proposed action plan, based on input from its 920 service station members and international research, suggests several measures, including:
expanding the Police Community Beat Patrols initiative to include “Hot Spot” motorised nighttime patrols of service stations, especially in high-risk areas, as implemented in Auckland in March 2024
disallowing offenders from receiving sentence reductions for expressing remorse if they have posted videos of their crimes on social media
exploring the possibility of enabling retailers to claim tax rebates on stolen fuel
ensuring insurance companies offer reasonable premiums and excesses, and do not cancel policies due to crime incidents
developing a comprehensive Retail Crime Action Strategy in partnership with New Zealand Police and other relevant agencies, while encouraging a shift in police tactics regarding service station crime
Marshall noted that many of these recommendations could benefit the broader retail sector.
“Crime is an extremely serious threat for many businesses. We are ready to work with all parties to support and protect Kiwis from crime,” he said.
He also acknowledged the establishment of the Ministerial Advisory Group on retail crime as a positive move and called for a collective effort to tackle the issue.
“We are ready to work with all parties to keep Kiwis safe – everyone deserves that,” he said.
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