Police will be more visible and have an increased presence in areas facing the most harm from retail crime.
In an announcement on Tuesday morning, Commissioner Andrew Coster said police will also broaden a gang-focused operation to intensify efforts to target prolific offenders.
It comes after dairy worker Janak Patel was fatally stabbed in Auckland last week, with Cmmr Coster saying police recognise the seriousness of crime affecting retail businesses.
"We understand any incident that involves violence impacts the feelings of safety for business owners, families, friends and the wider community," he said.
"Our staff continue to work very hard to respond, investigate and hold those who cause this harm accountable for their actions. Those districts most affected by retail burglaries and robberies have already demonstrated a strong focus on apprehending offenders, having increased visibility in their community, and working with other government agencies to address the broader social issues associated with this offending."
To help reduce this type of harm in the community, Cmmr Coster said that, where possible, there will be increased foot and vehicle patrols in shopping precincts in areas where there has been an increased number of reports. He said this is to offer reassurance to businesses and communities that may be feeling unsafe following recent events.
This will continue as part of Police's normal deployment assessments and plans.
There are district-specific operations currently running in areas including Canterbury, Waikato, and Auckland City, where Cmmr Coster said police have made "significant" arrests after a spate of retail-related offences.
Lower Hutt's CBD will also see an increased police presence in the coming months to target youth disorder and violence.
"To address the broader issues, we are supporting our partner government agencies, as they work to try and address the drivers of this serious offending, but Police's role is very clear: we have an obligation to the community, and we will respond, investigate, apprehend, and hold people to account," Cmmr Coster said.
"We know that what drives this offending is a complex issue that Police can't solve alone, so we have also been working with other agencies on alternative resolutions for some of these young people. However, for repetitive and adult offenders, we are taking a stronger stance."
He said that with the recent retail crime in mind, Operation Cobalt, which is Police's focus on disrupting unlawful gang behaviour, will continue into the new year.
"In addition to our efforts to target gang criminal activity, I have instructed that Operation Cobalt be broadened to also focus on those offenders that are causing significant and repeated harm," Cmmr Coster said. "This includes those using stolen vehicles, and threats of violence with weapons to seriously impact people’s livelihoods and sense of safety."
Operation Cobalt was due to end in December.
Police continue to urge members of the public to keep reporting incidents and suspicious behaviour to police. Anyone who needs Police urgently should call 111.
Following this announcement, Coster revealed police will be making revisions to the fleeing driver policy.
The revisions will be released next year outlining when police can carry out a pursuit.
Coster said the policy changes come after a spike in fleeing driver incidents and a significant decrease in offenders identified.
