New Zealand Police and AMI have launched a new initiative in an attempt to lower the number of violent dairy robberies.
The instructional video, commissioned by AMI, encourages owners to reconsider the layout of the shop. It might seem a little simple, but officers hope it'll make a big difference.
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It's fast become a familiar scene across the country: hooded thugs leaping over the counter and attacking dairy owners.
It's the thing of nightmares for Judy Xu. Last October, five robbers entered her store and came for the tobacco and money, she told Newshub.
While thieves were stealing her goods, they also beat up her husband. She's fearful of another attack, but says she does have some hope.
That's largely thanks to a new video showing dairy owners how to "present" their shops.
The video encourages shopkeepers to keep spaces open, use proper cameras, and have a clean shop.
Cleanliness might seem simplistic, but police say it's a proven tool against crime.
Garry Boles from New Zealand Police says if a shop is clean and tidy from the outside, it often deters offenders.
Police visited more than 1000 dairies in Auckland offering seminars, but say the turnout was disappointing.
Mr Boles hopes new instructional videos might help this problem - a thought shared by those who have been attacked.
"I hope dairy shop owners watch the video," says Ms Xu, "and [suffer] no robbery again in the dairy shop."
Who'd have thought a good spring clean might be the crime-fighting tool that can deter such awful crimes.
Newshub.
