He said he has lived in four different countries but has never felt so unsafe as in New Zealand.
“I’ve never felt as unsafe as I have in the last two or three years in New Zealand. I don’t know what’s going on, I just don’t feel safe anymore.”
Haddadin said break-ins not only cost money, but are also traumatic for the workers caught in the middle.
During Monday’s burglary, a member of staff was forced to hide behind the counter during the burglary. Haddadin said she was devastated.
“When I saw her, she immediately started crying. She’s a young woman too…being threatened with a pounding on the head is no joke.”
Haddadin said he was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars and more every day his store was closed for repairs.
“What they took out of that store and the damage they caused…They smashed and destroyed everything and everything inside.”
He said he estimated he lost between $300,000 and $400,000.
Haddadin said all he could do was try to improve store security, but he feared that would not be enough. And he’s not alone, a string of ram raids and burglaries has Auckland retailers worried.
Last month, the owner of a jewelry store told Newshub that she was closing her store after it was raided twice in two months.
Bharti Patel owned and operated Jewelers on Queen in Onehunga for over 20 years but was forced to close because she no longer felt safe.
It was a view shared by Dairy and Business Association President Sunny Kaushal, who said business owners were scared and angry.
“There is a lot of anger and frustration among these companies and communities now… This is very serious.
“It is very difficult to run a business in New Zealand at the moment because the state does not provide security and safety for them.
“I can tell you that 30% of business owners who call me ask how to get a firearms license. It has become so bad because if the police and the authorities are not able to save them , they must save themselves.”
Auckland has been plagued by a crime wave in recent months with a spate of ram raids and burglaries.
Police data shows that burglaries reached 21,457 for the period June 2021 to May 2022. This figure was compared to 17,166 for the previous period. In addition, thefts jumped to 59,078 from 49,680 for the previous period.
