Man attempts raid on Auckland clothing store with electric scooter

An Auckland business owner has been left with a hefty repair bill after a man attempted to raid a vintage clothing store early on Tuesday morning – with an e-scooter.

Security camera footage shared on social media shows a man unsuccessfully trying to break into the glass storefront of Smoove, located on Karangahape Road, around 4.30am.

After about 30 minutes of bludgeoning, the video shows the glass eventually cracking but not yielding. The man then tries to open the door before leaving on foot empty-handed.

He has since been arrested by the police.

Smoove owner Matthew Lark told 1News there have been several robberies on the street recently, but this was the first attempt at a ram raid.

Lark said he was “surprised it didn’t happen sooner.”

He said crime had increased in the area since the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that only “a fraction” of crimes were being reported amid concerns about a lack of police action and a reporting process that takes time.

Businesses in the region instead relied on “real effort and funds” and a WhatsApp community group to alert other business owners of repeat offenders, he said.

Lark called for a greater police presence in the area, as well as a dedicated “on the ground agency” to monitor crime and other anti-social behavior along the street.

He likened the surge in crime to the “naughty kid in the classroom distracting other kids”, saying the area should be celebrated instead.