Farmers and those living in rural areas across Northern Ireland must remain vigilant and take extra safety precautions following an increase in rural crime.
This is according to East Derry MLA, Claire Sugden, who said that farm machinery especially must be safeguarded.
Sugden’s advice follows the release of rural crime figures from NFU Mutual, which showed that the cost of rural crime in Northern Ireland rose by 50.7% last year to £2.5 million.
“Following a dip in this kind of crime during the pandemic, a resurgence in criminals targeting expensive farming equipment was seen in 2022 – particularly machinery and, more recently, GPS systems from tractors and other farming vehicles,” Sugden said.
“Farmers and others who live rurally should take every possible precaution – locking valuable equipment away and using sturdy locks, chains and storing them in secure sheds and warehouses.
“Equipment like this can be extremely expensive and so are particularly appealing targets for criminals.”
Sugden said police suspect that criminal gangs are operating many of these kind of operations in Northern Ireland, but that opportunism also plays a part.
“Anyone who sees farming equipment for sale for suspiciously cheap prices or in other circumstances that seem suspicious should contact the police on the non-emergency number 101,” she said.
“These people need to know that they will not be able to get away with this kind of crime – one that targets the very farms and farmers who support Northern Ireland’s biggest industry of agriculture and keep food on our plates.”
Rural crime in NI
Following the release of NFU Mutual’s rural crime report at the start of the month, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president William Irvine said the results were disappointing, but not surprising.
“While it does not come as a surprise, it is very disappointing to learn that the cost of rural crime has increased in Northern Ireland,” he said.
The report, published August 1, revealed that the cost of rural crime across the UK rose by 22% to £49.5 million in 2022.
The cost of rural thefts rose for quads and ATVs (+34%), agricultural vehicles (+29%), GPS systems (+15%) and livestock (+8.7%) across the UK.
“What is particularly concerning is the stark increase of 51% in the cost of crime in Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the UK which has seen a 22% increase,” Irvine said.
“At the root of the crimes that did occur are farming families who have suffered financially and emotionally because of a criminal intrusion on their farm.”
Irvine said the cost-of-living crisis and delay in replacing equipment is “making it even harder for farm families to recover” from theft incidents.
“Criminals are active in our community and we as farmers need to be vigilant and take the security of our businesses and homes seriously to deter criminals,” he said.