The recent thefts of GPS equipment from tractors in north Co. Dublin is still subject to investigations from Gardaí in the area.
The theft of the equipment from one Dublin farm in particular is proving to be a “mystery” for the affected farmer.
Patrick Dehaene of Oldtown in north Dublin is a potato and tillage farmer who has been farming in the area for over 30 years.
His main yard lies a good distance from the main road, down a 450 yard drive to be exact, and his own home is situated along this driveway.
Despite the electric gates on the road preventing access to the drive, his yard was subject to the theft of farm equipment recently.
Dehaene said “it was a shock” that the thefts took place, as he said because of the distance his yard is from the main road, “you wouldn’t even know there is a house up here, let alone a yard”.
He discovered the theft had occurred when on the evening of January 29, he went to close the door of a shed that was open, and noticed that the doors of two tractors had been left open inside the shed.
When he went to close the doors, he noticed the broken cover for the GPS controller, and wires that had been cut in the unit in the tractor.
Dehaene then discovered that one complete GPS unit had been taken from one tractor, along with the screens taken from two tractors in the shed.
Gardaí were called and visited the farm the following day, but Dehaene has said it is still a “mystery” as to how the thieves knew of the vehicles.
He said that the thieves “were not opportunists” and that “they were on a specific contract to get these GPS units”.
Dehaene noted that they had taken the fuel caps off the tractors during the theft which he found “unusual” and with diesel found on the floor, he suggested the thieves may have siphoned some fuel from the tractors.
Each of the screens that were stolen cost an estimated €3,000, and with the cost of re-looming the tractor that had the GPS unit taken along with cut wires, Dehaene has been faced with costs of over €30,000.
The equipment is an essential part of many tasks on Dehaene’s farm, as he explained that there are “certain jobs” that his staff would need the GPS unit for, as they do not have the experience of working without the equipment.
Gardaí are investigating a spate of GPS thefts in north Co. Dublin, and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) believes that criminal gangs have been deliberately targeting farmers in the area and could have stolen as much as €100,000 worth of farm equipment.
A public meeting organised by the IFA and Fingal Farmers on policing and crime matters is being held tonight (Wednesday, March 20) at 8:00p.m at the City North Hotel in Co. Meath.
Attending the meeting will be local political representatives, senior Gardaí, community leaders, senior local authority executives and senior farming representatives.
The deputy president of the IFA, Alice Doyle, has urged farmers throughout the country to be “vigilant” and take every measure possible to protect valuable farm equipment.
“Unfortunately we know there are people who are targeting certain farm equipment at this time, I would advise everyone that if you can, and I appreciate that this is not always possible to try and ensure that machinery and equipment is out of sight and stored away.
“We have to be extremely vigilant – you just can’t take the risk that parking a tractor in your yard overnight is good enough, what farmers need to do is take as many measures as they possibly can to protect farm machinery, tractors and equipment,” Doyle told Agriland.
This includes storing GPS systems away from the vehicle in a secure areas, recording serial numbers, properly marking the devices and installing additional security devices such as CCTV cameras or sensor lights.