A major reason for a lack of retail crime prosecutions may be because of the businesses themselves

Police National Retail Investigation Support Manager Matt Tierney has addressed Auckland Council's Small Business Advisory Panel.

He did so while it was revealed police staff had been ordered not to investigate lower-value theft.

Tierney says, in one extreme case, police could only prove two out of 28 potential charges against an offender because of a lack of evidence.

He says several requests to retailers for CCTV footage and receipts, went ignored.