10. Question No. 10—PoliceHon MARK MITCHELL (National—Whangaparāoa) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 10—Police10. Hon MARK MITCHELL (National—Whangaparāoa) to the Minister of Police: Does he agree with the Dairy and Business Owners Group who said The country is becoming lawless … Running a business in this country has become very difficult"; if not why not?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Police): No as I don't believe that inflammatory comments such as that are helpful in these circumstances. I'd also note that some of the proposals put forward by the group including allowing business owners to take matters into their own hands could risk further escalation and put more people at risk. While I have sympathy for every victim of offending I think it's important that police are allowed to do their jobs.Hon Mark Mitchell: Why would the Minister characterise a comment like that as being "inflammatory" for a group that has suffered over 430 ram raids this year and has seen a friend and a member of that group killed last night in a fatal stabbing and does he not actually understand and realise that there's a very strong feeling out there amongst retailers and their employers that they do not feel safe?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I absolutely acknowledge that there is concern amongst the small-business community—and the retail business community in particular—around the recent pattern of offending that we have seen. I do want to provide reassurance that the police are working very hard to make sure that every one of those offences is fully investigated and that those who do them are held to account for their offending.Hon Mark Mitchell: Did the Minister sign off and approve the criteria that allows business owners to have access to the retail crime fund?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The criteria for that was approved before I became the Minister.Hon Mark Mitchell: What is the criteria?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: There are a range of criteria—past victimisation being one of the key criteria. But it will also look at what the most appropriate security intervention is for that particular business. It'll also look at the overall nature of offending within the community. It will look at a range of different issues.Hon Mark Mitchell: So the Minister's standing in the House and can't tell us definitively what the criteria is for a fund that he's been overseeing for the last six months and the business in Sandringham had applied for including the request for a fog cannon that actually would have gone probably a long way towards preventing the tragedy that we saw unfold in Sandringham last night?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I indicated in my answer to another member's question earlier on the information that I have the business should have been eligible to receive a fog cannon from as early as 2017 when funding was made available by Government for the installation of fog cannons at that time and therefore I do not yet have an explanation as to why they have not received one.Melissa Lee: Will the Minister personally join me on Saturday to visit businesses affected by ram raids and violent crime in Mount Albert and Sandringham?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I have visited businesses that have been the victims of ram raiding. I am not in a position to do so this coming weekend. I also think it is important for all members of Parliament where there is an active investigation under way to allow police the space to do their jobs."