Labour Party justice spokesperson Duncan Webb. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Retailers say the government's crackdown on shoplifters is overdue, despite the opposition blasting the law as confused.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced instant fines and tougher sentences for shoplifting offences.
It's the latest in a slew of changes to the justice system, this time an instant ticket of up to a $1000 for those caught shoplifting.
Under the proposed law, shoplifters caught stealing lower-value goods could be stung for up to $500.
The maximum punishment for theft would go up to a year in prison for goods worth $2000 or less, or seven years for more serious cases.
On Auckland's Queen Street, Queens Arcade property manager Ian Wright said it was a positive change.
"These recent initiatives that the government's bringing in are what we've been asking for for a long time, and certainly was missing in the last regime," he said.
"It's exciting, it's all about holding people to account, and this is just another step in the right direction."
He had seen his share of crime in the area.
"There are these recidivist offenders, and I think some of these new initiatives are really going to make the difference where, if you can clamp down on those are remove those from our communities, it's going to make the whole place a lot safer and the crime will drop."
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announce the new infringement regime. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel
Labour Justice spokesperson Duncan Webb was unconvinced.
"I just think it's hotchpotch and confused," he said.
"I just don't think it's effective. It's making noises and saying 'we're doing something' when, in fact, you've still got to have the police to attend and enforce, we're not seeing that."
Webb thought the government was posturing.
"They're sort of lording it as 'oh, we're going to get tougher on shoplifters,' in fact, between one and two thousand dollar offences, the penalty is going down," he said.
"That's what I mean, it's confused."
Webb said under the new regime, the government had taken what was three bands of offending and turned it into two.
"In doing that, the band between $1000-$2000, which currently is seven years imprisonment maximum, now becomes one year imprisonment maximum."
He said resourcing the police force was vital.
"We need more cops on the street, but also better resourced cops," Webb said.
"It's no good them sitting at their desks, doing emails and filling forms, they've got to be freed up from that so that they can actually do frontline police work."
Police faced a backlash earlier this year after RNZ revealed an internal memo suggesting lower-level retail crime - like shoplifting - would not be investigated.
The new regime added an aggravating factor for high-value theft carried out in an "offensive, threatening, insulting, or disorderly" manner.
Sandringham Business Association chair Jithin Chittibomma said the fines would make offenders think twice.
"Yes, surely there will be people that don't care," he said.
"But I'm sure there will be people that do care about their future, and even if it is a 10, 20 percent reduction, I'll take that too."
Legislation for the new infringement regime was expected to be introduced in the next few months.
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