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Business owners on a popular tourist street in Christchurch are “really concerned” after someone smashed through one store’s window to steal jewellery from a display.
A passing member of the public noticed a window at Regina Watson Jewellers on New Regent St had been smashed and a row of jewellery taken.
They left a note for staff and called police, who arrived about 8.30am on Monday.
Debbie Stuart, who owns Groovy Glasses three doors down, said she and other New Regent St retailers were “really concerned” by the number of ramraids happening around the country.
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Poppy Clark/Stuff
Rowena Watson Jewellers on New Regent St was the target of a smash and grab early on Monday.
“It was really rough to walk in first thing in the morning and see someone has tried to get in somewhere,” she said.
“We have been trying to get more of a police presence down here.”
Staff at another jeweller on New regent St, Polished Diamonds, removed all the jewellery from their store windows before closing up each day.
Poppy Clark/Stuff
Police arrived at 8.30am on Monday after receiving a call from a member of the public about the incident.
Owner Dan Joines said it was “really disappointing” that a neighbouring jeweller had been broken into.
After his Auckland store was ramraided, Joines decided to get extra protective glass, smoke machines and more cameras in his Christchurch store.
An unsuccessful ramraid at his Christchurch premises still left dents and marks on the outside of the shop. A lime scooter was also thrown into a wall.
Poppy Clark/Stuff
Catie McCallister and Debbie Stuart from, neighbouring store Groovy Glasses, are “really concerned” with the number of ramraids around the country.
Joines said he wanted security cameras installed at each end of New Regent St to deter potential criminals.
“[Cameras] would work, and it would help out retailers down here and the restaurants.”
Most retail businesses on New Regent St opened early and closed in the afternoon, before the restaurants opened their doors in the evening.
The short period where most businesses on the street were closed “unfortunately” created an “opportunity” for offenders, he said.
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