Retailers say they feel powerless during Stokes Valley youth crime spree

Wednesday, 13 September 2023

Dairy owner Bin Li says his store has been robbed multiple times by youth offenders who robbed him of goods worth between $100 to $150 each time.

Bin Li said when he saw two young women aged between 12 and 14 enter his Stokes Valley store, Fresh City, he was greeted by the finger from both of them.

Li said he already knew these girls. The young women had already stolen from his produce store three times in the past. One time, up to $150 worth of drinks, lollies, and vapes were stolen, he said.

Police have acknowledged on-going issues between business owners in the Stokes Valley hub and a group of young women who had been “behaving poorly” towards staff working in the area.

Police acting area commander for Hutt Valley Rob Rutene said work was under way to identify who these young people were, including working with Hutt City Council and reviewing CCTV footage.

“We are immediately aware of one incident involving dishonesty offending (shoplifting) involving this group.

“Our Community section will be ensuring extra foot patrols are conducted around the Stokes Valley hub and retailers. Once inquiries establish who the group of youths are we will engage with Youth Aid and follow up with their families.”

The Stokes Valley hub has been the subject of repeat youth offending over the past few weeks, owners say.

The Post has spoken to three retailers in Stokes Valley who said items have been stolen from their stores over the past several weeks, but more stores may have been affected.

Retailers say that despite intervention from local police and youth workers, young people have been returning the next day and taking items again.

On Sunday September 3, Li said he told the girls not to come inside, as he had been advised to by police. But they entered anyway, jeering at him to call the cops.

They started putting large amounts of lollies, chips, and drinks into their pockets.

“I asked them nicely put [them] on the counter. They won't listen.”

Li said he then pulled down his storefront’s metal protective gate to stop the thieves from leaving.

Before the door had fully closed, the young women threw the stolen food and drinks underneath to their friends outside.

Li said the young women then started hitting the gate with a piece of wood, and their friends started kicking it from the outside.

When he opened the gate, they ran away, with one of them slapping Li in the face as they left, causing his glasses to fly off his face, he said.

Li, a father of two himself, said he was unused to children behaving this way. However, he has been told by police they they could not intervene due to the alleged offenders’ ages, and that he should ban them from his store.

Li said he had tried that, but it was not working.

“This is not stealing -- this is robbery. They won't listen, they just grab whatever they want.

“Those children, they don't care even. They say call the police, call the police.”

Owner of NY Court Dairy Stokes Valley Frenu Bhegat said the young women had been stealing for her store for about five months.

She said it was the same people, and they were taking small items from the store, like drinks and lollies.

Bhegat said police had been unable to help due to the age of the offenders.

Z Energy, which manages Caltex, said the company continued to see crime affecting the network throughout the country, which was “disappointing”.

“These impacts are not just financial, however can be unsettling for individuals working and/or those owning businesses in having to deal with each incident of crime.”