According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Covid-19 lockdown measures contributed to “sharp falls in recorded crime levels” across Ireland in 2020 – rural crime included.
These measures restricted our movements and, with more of us at home all the time, there were fewer instances where the opportunistic thief could strike.
Case in point, ‘theft and related offences’ were down by 16,684 or 24.5% when compared with 2019, according to CSO statistics.
However, as Covid-19 restrictions ease and the country starts to open up again, so too do the opportunities for criminality.
Rural crime – on the rise?
Agriland spoke to Laois-Offaly crime-prevention officer, Sgt. Graham Kavanagh, about rural crime and ways to tighten up on security.
Sgt. Kavanagh works with various community groups, including farming bodies, to encourage public engagement around crime prevention and to promote practical crime-prevention behaviour.
“Levels of crime have dropped significantly over the last year, but every time there is a lowering of restrictions, there are more people moving around and you then see the associated increase in crime.
“In relation to rural crime, I definitely have noticed, over the last two months, a number of thefts of trailers, fuel, PTOs.
“When you delve a bit deeper into it, there are little things that we can do to make life a bit harder for criminals,” he said.
Rural crime – prevention
Developing a few new habits – remembering to take the keys out of the ignition at night; putting the trailer in a shed; locking that shed – can be the difference between your property becoming hot, or not.
“A few simple, protective measures introduced around the whole farm can reduce the chances of it being targeted by criminal activity,” said Sgt. Kavanagh.
Here, he shares some valuable property-protection advice.
Property-protecting tips
Access
Ensure that gates with road access onto your farm are secured with a lock – a good-quality lock – which should be checked regularly. Do not block a gateway/entrance with another vehicle like a tractor.
Shed some light on it
Ensure that your sheds and yard are well lit up – this is a basic deterrent. A good level of lighting around the farmyard at all times will also help to alert neighbours or patrolling Gardaí to the presence of intruders and potential break-ins.
“Consider dusk ’til dawn lighting and timer switches. Gadgets like this cost around €10 and can even give the impression that the TV is on,” said Sgt. Kavanagh.
Nightly checks
Develop a routine of checking that the farm is secure each night – check vehicles are locked, sheds are locked, and property stored away within them. Locks must be high standard – anti-snap, anti-bump and anti-drill locks are best.
If in doubt, your local Private Security Authority (PSA)-registered locksmith will assist and guide you. Windows and patio doors can also be retrofitted with locks.
“Being security conscious and getting into good home-security habits will help deter the average burglar as they are seeking easy targets,” he added.
Home security
Smart technology has vastly improved home-security measures, facilitating remote monitoring of your home and premises. Through a security-monitoring app you can control everything from heating to external door locks.
CCTV
This has developed over the years with a range of self-installing kits on the market. A camera doorbell, which acts like a CCTV, can be very useful. It can notify you of callers to your door and send real-time notifications to your smartphone. If considering CCTV seek the advice of a PSA-registered installer.
“But nothing beats the burglar than a good lock.”
Report
Gardaí can’t investigate a crime unless you report it. Always report farm thefts to your local Gardaí. And be suspicious – if something seems off, call the guards and give details to them. It might be nothing – or it might be something.
Community
Sign up to Community Alert and Text Alert (schemes), which allows rural communities to be aware of any reported incidents in their area.
Recovering stolen property
The above tips are aimed at trying to prevent property from being stolen in the first instance.
But, you can take action to make it easier to find your property, or prove that it is yours, in the event that it is stolen.
GPS tracking
For expensive farm equipment and machinery, a GPS tracker is highly effective in helping to locate your stolen property.
“Within the last year, there was an incident where five quads were stolen, and we were able to recover them because one of the quads had a GPS tracker. A GPS won’t stop something from being stolen but what it will do is it will help us find it. In the case of the quads, we were able to find where they were all being stored because of that one GPS device,” said Sgt. Kavanagh.
Marking
Making your property identifiable and being able to prove that it is yours are key to recovering and returning property.
Marking your property will not prevent something from being stolen but will make it easier to return to its owner. There are property-marking services on the market and it is worth checking out the options they provide.
“To us, putting your Eircode on your property is the most identifiable mark that you can put on your property. If I stop someone at 4:00a.m, for example, pulling a trailer and I find an Eircode, and I can check that on my mobile phone there and then, I can find out that they don’t own that trailer, and from where it came.”
Photograph
Another good tip is to take pictures of your farm machinery, focusing on any unique features or identity/serial number.
This will help Gardaí return stolen goods to the owner. A stock photo from the internet is not sufficient.
Some key things to remember:
- Keep your keys with you, do not leave them in the vehicle;
- Tractors and quad bikes are the most commonly targeted vehicles;
- Store quad bikes out of sight when they are not in use;
- Take photos and record the details of your vehicles, especially the serial numbers;
- Mark your property with a code that is unique to you.
“Taking simple security measures and creating good habits will help to deter the burglar,” said Sgt. Kavanagh.