Growth of Rural Crime

 

Growth of Rural Crime in your area ( Are you safe)

Rural crime is a Growing issue for large areas of the country but it tends to go unreported. Its impact can be far reaching, insurance premiums, food prices and even damage local communities.

Rural crime is often linked to Organised Crime Groups who target and exploited rural communities across a range of crime types, for example organised plant theft, Livestock theft and theft of firearms.

It can be hard to know whether something is a crime and whether to contact the police.

(If your are not sure Phone the Police)

Rural crime tends to fall into one of four categories:

Agricultural

Agricultural crime covers working farms, farm machinery, farm buildings and smallholdings. Offences include theft of equipment or fuel, damage to property and livestock worrying.

Equine

Equine crime covers working stables and equestrian centres and includes offences like tack theft and livestock worrying.

Wildlife

Wildlife crime includes hare coursing, poaching and interfering with protected species.

Heritage

Heritage crime is defined as ‘any crime which harms the value of Britain’s heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations’.

That can include theft of lead  from churches, damage to ancient monuments and illegal metal detecting.

Rural crime also covers illegal waste dumping, fly tipping, polluting watercourses and land.

 

Equipment and tool security

Equipment and tool security can be a particular issue for rural businesses and farms.

To keep your belongings safe:

• Lock equipment away in a secure building or part of a building when not in use.
• Invest in a secure storage toolbox which can be anchored to an immovable object.
• Install a Monitored Intruder Alarm System with Police response on buildings where equipment is kept.
• Always lock vehicles when left outside and keep the keys in your possession. Install trackers to all vehicles which are vulnerable.
• Keep expensive items and vehicles out of sight when not in use.
• Consider using hitch locks, wheel clamps or ground anchors.
• Mark your tools and equipment and register them.
• Keep a record of all valuable items.
• Fit outside security lights and CCTV System.
• Call in a Security Consultant to give you an up to date, security advice that will help protect your property.

Estate and building security.

A good standard of building security is very important in rural areas, especially for outbuildings that may not be visited for weeks at a time.

Farmhouses and other rural properties are the same as any other home, so general home security advice still applies. However, because of the remote location, additional security measures may be beneficial.

To protect your rural home or business:

• Keep the boundaries of your land and property well-maintained and secure.
• Keep all doors and windows shut and locked when not in use.
• Install a visible Monitored with Police response Security Intruder System.
• Make sure windows and door frames are secure and in good repair.
• Fit strong locks to sheds, garages and outbuildings.
• Fit good quality window locks.
• Consider security bars and grilles for vulnerable windows and openings.
• Make sure gates cannot be lifted off or have their fixing bolts removed.
• Check security equipment regularly to ensure it works properly and is maintained by an authorised Security Company.
• Use locking posts or temporary obstructions to control wide access points to yards.
• Establish a single gated entrance and exit, removing all private access points that are not in use.

Boundaries

Take a good look around your property boundary for any potential places where it could be made more secure.

Consider:

• Planting thorny hedging to act as a natural barrier.                               
• Digging deep ditches to control and deter unwanted vehicle access.

Electric fences

Electric fences can be an easy target for thieves as they’re often in remote locations away from the farm or stable.

Thieves steal them for scrap value or offer them on second-hand markets without operating instructions.

To protect your fence and energiser, you could:

• Visibly mark your equipment in a number of places as a deterrent, reducing its value and making it harder to sell on if stolen.
• Photograph the unit and record the make, model and serial number, to help the police if it’s stolen.
• Attach your energiser to a sturdy fixed point or secure it in a purpose-made storage container.
• Hide or camouflage your energiser behind a fence or tree, in a hedge or in undergrowth.
• Attach a small tracker to the energiser.
• Cover the power light with tape.

 

Fire prevention

• Dispose of refuse regularly and safely.
• Remove hay and straw from fields as soon as possible after harvesting and do not store it alongside other materials/vehicles.
• Store petrol, diesel and other fuels in secure areas and always padlock storage tank outlets.
• Seek further advice from your local fire service.

Diesel theft

Diesel theft is a problem for many farms and rural properties. Fuel tanks stored in rural and isolated locations are very attractive to thieves looking for an easy target.

• Keep tanks stored close to the property where you can see them. If this isn’t possible, you should consider installing CCTV to watch over isolated tanks and restrict access with walls, fences and hedges. Security lighting such as ‘dusk till dawn’ or motion detection lighting can also be an effective deterrent to thieves.
• Remember to check the oil level in your tank regularly. Look for any spilt fuel, marks on the locks or anything else suspicious.
• Consider using a mobile bowser (tanker) kept in a secure place when not in use.
• Use ‘diesel dye’, making your diesel traceable and less attractive to thieves.

Livestock theft

You should check your livestock and the security of boundary fencing regularly. If they’re making more noise than usual this could mean something has disturbed them.

• Make regular checks of the fields where animals are kept to check that fences haven’t been breached and that no one else is in the field with them.
• Use ear tags, horn brands, freeze marking or tattooing to make your animals more easily identifiable.
• Keep your hedges, fences and gates in good repair: field gate hinges should have capping hinges so they can’t be removed easily; cattle grids should be removable and locked out of position when they’re not in use; use locking posts to obstruct large openings to yards.
• Consider installing CCTV.

Always report any suspicious activity involving livestock to the police.

 

Chemical storage

• Store fertilisers in a dedicated locked building or compound – don’t leave them on public view.
• Don’t sell fertiliser unless you know the potential purchaser to be a legitimate user.
• Record all deliveries and usage and carry out regular stock taking.
• Record manufacturers’ code numbers and detonation resistance test certificates – you may be required to present them.
• Always report a stock discrepancy or loss immediately.

Please don’t hesitate to call System 9 Security on 07881652066 or email System9services@gmail.com if you have any questions regarding your Security.