Retail theft and burglaries across Hawke’s Bay’s main CBD areas have declined over the past year.
And authorities say increased policing and a dedicated retail crime unit are part of the reason.
Since the team began operating in mid-2025, 151 people have been arrested and 592 charges laid for retail-related crimes.
Recent data shows both Napier and Hastings CBD areas recorded fewer offences between February 2025 and February 2026 compared with the previous year.
Theft remains by far the most common type of CBD crime.
In Hastings Central, there were 1698 offences recorded over the 12-month period, down from 1963 the year before.
Of those, 1431 were theft-related offences, compared with 1586 previously – a drop of nearly 9% – while burglaries fell more sharply, down about 30% from 149 to 104.
The Hastings Central data includes a small surrounding residential area near Cornwall Park, but largely reflects activity in the CBD.
Napier Central recorded slightly higher overall numbers.
There were 1726 offences recorded over the same period, down from 2004 the previous year, a drop of nearly 14%.
The number of thefts fell by about 14% from 1700 to 1460, while burglaries decreased by more than 16% from 152 to 127.
Napier Central still ranks as the highest-crime area in Hawke’s Bay, according to Crime Stats NZ.
One business that has felt the impact firsthand is Napier Life Pharmacy owner Peter Bailey, whose Emerson St store was targeted three times within 10 weeks last year.
Bailey said the break-ins were “stressful” at the time and left him questioning whether it was worth continuing to operate in the CBD.
However, he said the situation had improved since then and the community had rallied around his team.
“We had people who brought in flowers and coffee cards and all sorts of things to help the staff get by,” Bailey told Hawke’s Bay Today.
He said Napier City Council had improved monitoring of CCTV cameras overnight, which had helped, but he was still waiting for further solutions.
“We’ve been forced to put a roller door in because the council said that they were going to put bollards at the end of the street, but we’re still waiting,” he said.
“We’ve had to increment policies with some of the perfume, we push them away at night, like the jewellers do, but now with the roller door, we feel a hell of a lot more secure.”
Napier City Council said bollards at the end of Emerson St had been considered but ruled out.
“There are unintended consequences that in Council’s view, means this option is not suitable,” a spokesperson said.
“These are increased crime, disorder and graffiti as public and police vehicles cannot drive down the road, meaning less scrutiny of activity. It may also shift crime to other streets.”
Instead, the council said it was focusing on prevention and visibility measures, including its CBD CCTV network, monitored day and night, and partnerships with police, business associations and social services.
Bailey said there had been a noticeable increase in police presence on the street, with officers seen patrolling the CBD during the day.
Despite that, he said operating a retail store remained challenging.
Police said foot patrols in Napier and Hastings CBDs were a key part of the Retail Crime Unit’s work.
“We also work closely with the city council beat teams and are regularly in contact with property loss officers working for some retailers,” Hawke’s Bay area prevention manager Inspector Caroline Martin said.
Police data also indicated a reduction in reported offending across Hawke’s Bay since the unit began operating, particularly during busy retail periods such as Black Friday and Boxing Day sales.
“The Unit has also provided an opportunity to engage with offenders to identify and address any underlying issues which may be contributing to their offending,” Martin said.
She said police were also aware reporting practices could vary between centres and continued to encourage retailers to report incidents.
Napier City Business Inc general manager Pip Thompson said businesses remained responsible for their own store security, but she welcomed the work of the Retail Crime Unit and expanded CCTV monitoring.
“We would all prefer to see no crime at all. Unfortunately, that’s not realistic in today’s environment,” she said.
“What everyone is working towards is a city that feels safe and welcoming for people to visit, work, shop, and spend time in.”
Rafaella Melo has more than 10 years of experience as a journalist in Brazil. She has worn many hats, from radio and TV presenter and producer to magazine editor before joining the Hawke’s Bay Today team as a multimedia journalist.