A giant retailer is changing store designs and getting staff new radios to tackle what it calls brazen and rampant crime.

And National’s law and order spokesman says boot camps for young offenders will offer more than might be imagined from the often derided military academy-style courses.

Countdown today told the Herald it had started enhancing security in multiple ways - and these measures would be ramped up in coming months.

These included specific team training for handling “aggressive, threatening, and brazen behaviour” and store design initiatives.

The retailer was also planning to roll out more security measures including push-to-talk radios and use of CCTV.

“It’s also critical that we continue to build strong relationships with both local and national police, community groups and other retailers, and we’re prioritising doing this,” a Countdown spokeswoman said.

It was not immediately clear how store designs were changing or if the measures would use crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles.

CPTED had various guidelines on how to reduce crime through surveillance, sightlines, orientation, and other measures.

Countdown’s comments came after National MP Mark Mitchell said alarming new data showed a spike in thefts and assaults at Countdown.

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Mark Mitchell, National Party MP, says the military academies should be given a shot at rehabilitating young offenders. Photo / Jed Bradley

He said Countdown reported a 663 per cent increase in reported stolen goods over six years and a 303 per cent increase in physical assaults.

The National Party police spokesman said in financial year 2017/18 slightly more than 5,400 thefts happened at Countdown but that number leapt to more than 23,000 in financial year 2022/23.

And he again plugged the party’s boot camp policy, even though he said the term “boot camp” was not ideal.

Mitchell today said rehabilitation opportunities for young offenders would be based on the Limited Service Volunteer programme, a free currently six-week Defence Force motivational training course.

He said people aged 15 to 17 committing serious violent offences could take the courses, which would offer numeracy, team-building, literacy and physical activities.

RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai could host young offenders under National's proposed youth crime strategy. Photo / Supplied

“They can stay in the programme for up to 12 months.”

Mitchell said the locations would be at Trentham Military Camp in Upper Hutt, the Whenuapai air force base in Auckland, and Burnham Military Camp in Canterbury.

The Defence Force has been approached for comment.

Mitchell told the Herald it was nonsense to suggest the party’s law and order policy was regurgitating previous boot camp suggestions.

He said NGOs, iwi and community groups could take part in the programmes.

Mitchell said the latest crime reports from Countdown followed a big surge in crime at Foodstuffs, the operator of Pak’nSave, New World, Four Square, and LiquorLand.

He said National had a comprehensive plan “to tackle the tsunami of retail offending” largely driven by youths.

Labour has repeatedly blasted boot camp-style policies and described such suggestions from National as tired and discredited.

Former National Party leader Bill English suggested he’d be willing to consider sending young offenders to boot camps.

After the 2017 election, gang expert and sociologist Dr Jarrod Gilbert called that boot camp idea a stain on English’s legacy.

A Herald investigation earlier this year found reported retail crime had more than doubled under Labour when measured through reports using Auror software.

That app-based programme was introduced in 2015 to help retail chain stores, supermarkets and petrol stations report shoplifting and theft to police.

In 82 per cent of these alleged crimes, the value of stolen goods was less than $500.

Crime statistics in New Zealand are sometimes unreliable, due to factors including changes in reporting modes.

However, Countdown did not dispute the numbers Mitchell quoted today.

And it said there was no doubt its staff had seen an increase in threatening behaviour in stores since the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in early 2020.

John Weekes is online business editor. He has covered courts, politics, crime and consumer affairs. He rejoined the Herald in 2020, previously working at Stuff and News Regional, Australia.