WELLINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Greater financial support for crime prevention measures in high-risk retail businesses is being made available after a review by New Zealand Police Minister Stuart Nash, a police statement said on Thursday.
Greater financial support is needed for businesses, such as dairies and superettes, which have only very small profit margins and were facing a potential bill of several thousand dollars to purchase crime prevention tools, Nash said in the statement.
The government has increased the subsidy on crime prevention tools, so at-risk business owners will contribute no more than 250 NZ dollars (184 U.S. dollars) towards the cost of a fog cannon, Nash said, adding these are short-term measures and the government remains focused on longer term ways to reduce crime and improve public safety.
The government aims to recruit 1,800 extra police over three years, as part of the effort to target organized crime, which will interrupt the supply chains for methamphetamine and other drugs, so as to remove the incentives for people to commit crimes to fund their habits, the minister said.
