Crime crackdown under fire

The Motor Trade Association (MTA) fears new law and order measures announced by the government will offer little protection for retail businesses from violent crime.

Lee Marshall, chief executive, says it supports tougher penalties for offenders but believes the victims and targets of crime should be put first.

The government announced on July 17 that posting videos of crime online will become an aggravating factor at sentencing, there will be tougher penalties for young offenders, and a crackdown on people using children to offend.

“The problem with the steps the government has announced is they’re all after the fact,” notes Marshall, pictured.

“They’re all measures that come into play after offending has taken place and another business has become the victim of crime. They offer next to no protection or deterrent.”

He says politicians should instead be addressing the causes of young offending and helping businesses to protect themselves.

One suggestion the MTA has is to allow capital expenditure for crime protection or prevention measures to be 100 per cent tax deductible in the year the cost is incurred.

At present, rebates for measures such as bollards and alarms are spread over years, if they can be claimed at all.

Service stations are frequently the victims of ram raids and violent robberies, which traumatise staff and can impact the ability of businesses to serve the community.

“A change like this would mean they can protect themselves against the risk of crime,” Lee explains.

“The fog cannon subsidy helps some – but not all – service stations get that piece of equipment. But fog cannons are only one part of the protection suite that service stations need. There’s a lot more and it’s not cheap to install.”

Marshall adds the MTA has called for greater resourcing for police, so the provision by government for 78 more police prosecutors is welcome.

“But the government needs to do more to stop crime – not just deal with offenders afterwards.”