“The Police Minister needs to explain to business owners who are terrified that they are next in line to be ramraided why they can’t access the fund designed to protect businesses,” says ACT Leader and Epsom MP David Seymour.

“The Government announced a $6 million fund in May for businesses to be able to install bollards and fog cannons.

“The issue with the fund is that it’s not contestable. Police decide what businesses are eligible and it seems that part of the criteria is that you have already been ramraided. So, to be eligible for protection from ramraids, you first have to be ramraided.

“Businesses who are proactively looking to access the fund are sent into a frustrating vortex. I have had business owners contact me who have contacted the Minister’s office, only to be told to contact the Police directly, who have then been told by the Police to contact the Minister.

“One business owner wrote to me and said “After two years of lockdown and restricted trading it is crippling for me to get new security doors or pay for a security guard. I have already paid to update our alarm system, install panic buttons, bollards, cameras and shock proof glass in our windows but so have many others in my industry and they just don’t seem to deter these criminals. I want to know what are the Police Ministry actually doing to fight these crimes and how do I go about getting funding to better project my staff and stock?”

“Today I am calling on the Police Minister to be clear with business owners about how they become eligible, what the process is and how much of the $6 million fund has already been allocated.

“As a local MP I am spending more and more time visiting business owners who have been devastated by these attacks. We can’t leave them sitting and waiting in fear that they might be next.”

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