Thieves welcome

Police greenlight shoplifting under $500

Criminals across the country have just been handed a major win, and law-abiding citizens and retailers are left to fend for themselves. Police have officially confirmed that officers have been instructed not to investigate shoplifting cases involving goods worth less than $500, which seems like an open invitation to petty crime.

The controversial new directive also includes petrol drive-offs under $150 and online frauds under $1000 - none of which will be actively investigated, regardless of the evidence available.

Superintendent Blair MacDonald, director of police, admitted that the hands-off approach is a result of limited resources.

"We only have so much resource," MacDonald said. "Each district has to make a choice."

For many, this "choice" sounds more like an abandonment of duty. With shoplifters now facing zero threat of prosecution for anything under $500, store owners worry they’ve become sitting ducks.

Retail NZ is calling for an urgent meeting with the Police Minister over what it describes as a reckless decision that could have devastating consequences. Retail Crime Prevention Group chair Sunny Kaushal warned this exact approach has led to chaos in places like the US and UK.

"Retailers will be deeply concerned by this directive," Kaushal said. "When the law stops protecting property, citizens will start taking matters into their own hands. We’ve seen how badly that ends."

Despite police claiming reports will still be filed, potentially to aid in solving larger crimes, the message to would-be thieves is simple - if you steal, just keep it under $500 and you’re in the clear.

MacDonald insisted the change was about “triaging” cases more efficiently and said it’s still “business as usual” for police - a claim that rings hollow for those watching shoplifters walk out the door unchallenged. Even police conceded the wording of the directive “could have been clearer” a worrying sign when the policy already seems to undermine the rule of law.

The decision has sparked fears that communities will lose faith in the justice system and take justice into their own hands, with some warning this could lead to a rise in confrontations, vigilantism, and further violence.

For now, criminals may celebrate. But the cost to society and to the safety of ordinary citizens, could be far greater than any shoplifted item.