New insurance data from NZI revealed Auckland and Waikato as the top regions for ram raids and commercial crime, with both regions bearing the brunt of the 26% increase in insurance claims in 2022.
Of the 3,698 commercial crime claims received by NZI, 37% were from Auckland. This places the region well above the second ranker, Waikato, which recorded 18%. The two are followed by Canterbury (12%), Bay of Plenty (8%), and Wellington (7%).
Burglary remains the most common type of commercial crime claim, a rank it has held for the past five years, making up 75% of crime claims in 2022 – equivalent to 2,773 claims. While Auckland also topped burglary claims in Aotearoa, it was Bay of Plenty that took the second spot with 208 claims overall, despite ranking eighth for overall crime claims.
NZI executive general manager Garry Taylor (pictured) said that while population factors into these figures, businesses across the country are suffering from an increase in crime, especially burglary.
“Anecdotally, the addition of vape products in dairies appears to increase the risk of burglaries,” Taylor said. “Over the past decade, security measures for cigarettes have been developed and improved and are now at generally good standards. However, vaping products, which are newer to New Zealand, tend to have fewer security measures, making them common targets for thieves.”
Auckland, Waikato, and Canterbury feature prominently for ram raids, making up the top three targets for 2022. In the past year, NZI received 213 ram raid claims, an increase of 132% from the 92 claims in 2021 and 420% from the 41 claims in 2020.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing ram raids feature more often,” Taylor said. “These crimes are incredibly disruptive, and it can take a long time for businesses to recover. Often there is significant damage to the building, on top of the loss of stock. In some parts of the country, supply chain shortages have meant lead times to procure shop front glass and tradespeople has increased.”
As for retail crime, Auckland and Waikato once again lead the ranks with 32.5% and 26%, respectively, followed by Canterbury, Bay of Plenty, and Wellington. That said, Northland had the highest average cost of retail theft-related claims despite making up only 1% of the total retail theft claims.
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