Another Handbag Theft - Woman Dragged 130 Metres Behind Car

In yet another mugging in Auckland a woman has been dragged 130 metres by a car as she tried to cling onto her handbag.

This is just the latest in a very long string of similar attacks on women in the
Auckland region. They have continued unabated despite a large scale round up of offenders by police in September . See blog entry.

Last month an innocent bystander was shot dead by police, and another injured on an Auckland motorway, following a mass vehicular pursuit of a handbag snatcher that involved 20 police cars and caused severe distruption to the region's traffic system. Blog link

In June 2008 Joanne Wang was killed in front of her young son in an almost identical attack at the Manukau Westfield shopping centre.

This report on today's most recent incident is take from Stuff.co.nz

(N.B. The Tident Tavern is in Onehunga, not Panmure)

"The 45-year-old was walking through the Trident Tavern car park in Panmure about 4.40pm when an occupant of a vehicle grabbed her handbag, said Detective Sergeant Mark Cullimore of Auckland Central CIB.

She was dragged about 130m by the car as the two wrestled for the bag.

The woman suffered severe grazing and bruising to her legs and arms and was quite shaken by the attack, Mr Cullimore said.

She was taken to an Accident and Emergency Centre for treatment.

There was only a vague description of her attacker, who was described as having dark skin and being in a dark coloured car, he said.

Police were keen to hear from any witnesses to the incident."

Bystander Shot on Motorway Following Handbag Theft

Source: NZ Herald
A vehicle was stolen in West Auckland earlier today and used in a handbag snatch that went fatally wrong.

Following a high speed pursuit on Auckland's North Western Motorway involving the Armed
Offenders Squad a member of the public was was shot dead and another injured. At this time it is not known who fired the fatal shot.

20 police vehicles and a helicopter were involved in the chase which started at 1pm following a handbag theft in Titirangi.

A man has been arrested and a sawn off .22 rifle was found at the scene.

Back in Sept 2008 this blog highlighted the problem of bag snatches in the Auckland area. Link - Bag snatchers targeting women again

The Waitemata police carried out a series of raids on the homes of an Auckland-wide gang that was stealing handbags from the front seats of cars while women loaded their groceries into the boot.

At the time 9 men were arrested but police admitted that it hadn't stopped thieves from stealing women's bags and the spate of thefts continued in the New Lynn Area (close to Titirangi) all of which involved the use of stolen cars to make a getaway.

Woman killed in robbery June 2008

In June of last year 39 year old Joanne Wang (right) was killed when she was run down down in the street after her handbag was snatched at the Manukau Westfield shopping centre, her 8 year old son was with her and was traumatised after witnessing the appalling incident. News link

47 Bag Snatches over the Christmas period

Then in December police released released video footage of another dramatic handbag theft in South Auckland, showing a woman being dragged along the ground by her attacker. Over the Christmas period there were 47 bag snatches in the area. Link TVNZ

Police have said that it's becoming a big problem in the area and the criminals are targeting Asians.

These incidents suggest that the rule of law is failing in Auckland and the problem is beyond the the control of the police. It belies the commonly held perception that New Zealand safe place in which to live.