By Dieuwe de Boer

The government's latest announcement to expand the powers of citizen's arrests are the first ray of light in favour of the common man when it comes to fighting thieves. The increase in violence crime ushered in by Labour has been arrested, but there is a long way to go. The 24,000 fewer victims amounts to only a few percentage points drop in most categories, -2% overall.

Ram raids have declined the most under the no tolerance policy. The use of the gang patch law has allowed cops to run hits on gangs without the usual requirement to have evidence. For gangs, their very clothes have become the casus belli to make raids that uncover evidence of drugs, illegal guns, and other offending. Whether this is the most prudent want to deal with gangs is largely overshadowed by the simple fact that it works.

One type of crime has increased and that's retail theft, up a whopping +12%. Under the current law, it's illegal for citizens (including shop owners and security guards) to properly intervene when items stolen are valued under $1,000. The law is ambiguous on how much force, if any, can be used to defend property.

Fixing this is the first step in probably over a hundred years in favour of the rights of the law abiding. Good men will be able to restrain thieves and that more than anything will drive down retail crime. The law will be clear that reasonable force may be applied to defend your property, no matter its market value.

I remember Labour offering smoke cannons and bollards to shop owners as a way to “defend” against crime. I remember as a child the friendly shop counters at local shops where now two decades later the owners are barricaded behind cages. They are afraid as much of criminals as they are of the police going after them for defending their property.

There are risks of course. A few chattels aren't worth dying for. But that's a two way street. What is now a simple snatch and grab for crooks will soon make you fair game for any good man willing and able to do his duty. The confidence that you can choose to act will be a game changer for victims and bystanders. The ambiguity and risk will now be firmly on the side of organised criminals and petty thieves.

These changes may seem small, but the positive consequences can be massive. Let's celebrate the wins and keep pushing for more.