Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
22 December 2022
Lance O’Riley
[FYI request #21280 email]
Our ref: OIA 101278
Tēnā koe Lance
Official Information Act request: Offences against retailers
Thank you for your email of 27 November 2022, in which you requested:
Please provide the requested date by year dating back as far as records allow at
least back to 2002.
1a: Total number of offences commonly referred to as 'ram raids' that have been
reported.
1b: Total number of reported ram raids that have resulted in the offender being
identified
1c: Total number of reported ram raids that have resulted in the offender being
charged with an offence
1d: Total number of reported ram raids that have resulted in the offender being
convicted of an offence
2a: Total number of burglaries at retail premises
2b: Total number of burglaries at retail premises that have resulted in the offender
being identified
2c: Total number of burglaries at retail premises that have resulted in the offender
being charged with an offence
2d: Total number of burglaries at retail premises that have resulted in the offender
being convicted of an offence
2e: Estimated number of burglaries at retail premises that have gone unreported
3a: Total number of burglaries at residential premises
3b: Total number of burglaries at residential premises that have resulted in the
offender being identified
3c: Total number of burglaries at residential premises that have resulted in the
offender being charged with an offence
3d: Total number of burglaries at residential premises that have resulted in the
offender being convicted of an offence
3e: Estimated number of burglaries at residential premises that have gone
unreported
4a: Total number of aggravated robberies at retail premises
4b: Total number of aggravated robberies at retail premises that have resulted in the
offender being identified
4c: Total number of aggravated robberies at retail premises that have resulted in the
offender being charged with an offence
Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
4d: Total number of aggravated robberies at retail premises that have resulted in the
offender being convicted of an offence
4e: Estimated number of aggravated robberies at retail premises that have gone
unreported
5a: Average age of offenders identified for each of the above categories
5b: Average number of prior convictions for offenders identified for each of the
above categories
5c: Average number of offenders identified who have a prior conviction for any of the
above categories
5d: Average number of offenders identified who have been previously identified as
an offender for any of the above categories
5e: Breakdown of what charges were laid in each of the above categories
5f: Breakdown of what convictions were obtained in each of the above categories
5g: Breakdown of custodial or non-custodial sentences were imposed
As noted earlier, please provide the data dating back to 2002, and break this down
by month. If monthly data is unable to be provided then please provide quarterly
statistics and an explanation of why this is the case.
On 30 November 2022, the following parts of your request were transferred to the Police:
1a: Total number of offences commonly referred to as 'ram raids' that have been
reported.
1b: Total number of reported ram raids that have resulted in the offender being
identified
1c: Total number of reported ram raids that have resulted in the offender being
charged with an offence
2a: Total number of burglaries at retail premises
2b: Total number of burglaries at retail premises that have resulted in the offender
being identified
2c: Total number of burglaries at retail premises that have resulted in the offender
being charged with an offence
3a: Total number of burglaries at residential premises
3b: Total number of burglaries at residential premises that have resulted in the
offender being identified
3c: Total number of burglaries at residential premises that have resulted in the
offender being charged with an offence
4a: Total number of aggravated robberies at retail premises
4b: Total number of aggravated robberies at retail premises that have resulted in the
offender being identified
4c: Total number of aggravated robberies at retail premises that have resulted in the
offender being charged with an offence
5a: Average age of offenders identified for each of the above categories
5d: Average number of offenders identified who have been previously identified as
an offender for any of the above categories
5e: Breakdown of what charges were laid in each of the above categories
Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
Your request has been referred to me for response, as it falls within my responsibilities as
Group Manager, Courts and Tribunals, Regional Service Delivery, and is being managed in
accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
The Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) does not hold the information you have requested for
the reasons outlined below. I am therefore refusing your request under section 18(g)(i) of the
Act as the information requested is not held by the Ministry and I have no grounds for
believing it is held by another agency subject to the Act.
The Ministry is unable to provide any offender, conviction or sentence type information for
people who are facing charges relating to ram-raid offending. This is because ‘ram-raid’ is
not a specific of ence type and an offender could be charged with a variety of offences
including, but not limited to, burglary, theft (of a vehicle), dangerous/negligent acts, and
property damage.
The Ministry is also unable to identify what type of premises burglaries or aggravated
robberies occurred at as this level of information is not recorded in the Courts Case
Management System (CMS). Statistics on the following offence types can be found on the
Ministry’s website at justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/research-data/justice-statistics/data-
tables/
• Robbery, extortion and related offences
• Unlawful entry with intent/burglary or breaking and entering
• Theft and related of ences
The Ministry also does not hold the information you have requested regarding estimated
unreported burglaries and aggravated robberies. However, the findings of the New Zealand
Crime and Victims Survey contains some data regarding unreported crime which may be of
interest to you. This is available here: www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/research-
data/nzcvs/
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman may be
contacted by email to [email address] or by phone on 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Richard Williams
Acting Group Manager, Courts and Tribunals, Regional Service Delivery
