Ross-shire farmers have eyes on crooks
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MODERN technology is being harnessed to clamp down on the criminal threat to Ross-shire’s rural farming communities.
The roll out to Ross-shire of the Northern Constabulary-led Farm Watch initiative aims to stop well-organised criminal gangs in their tracks and protect often vulnerable “soft touch” areas from attack.
As recently as last month, police issued a public appeal for help in tracing an estimated 42 pigs and three tonnes of pig feed stolen from the a farm in Evanton.
Theft of plant and machinery and oil has also caused problems in communities across Ross-shire and the wider Highlands.
Farm Watch, which is also being extended to Caithness and Sutherland, is already operating in East Division (Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey).
The scheme uses modern technology to pass out alerts from police to members by text or e-mail. Within minutes of an incident occurring, a message can be sent out, warning other farmers and making it more difficult for criminals to target several farms in a row.
In addition to triggering an early warning system, and allowing quick police intervention, Farm Watch will also bring together often isolated rural communities as they unite to ensure that rural farm areas are not an easy catch or soft option for criminals.
Farm Watch aims to create a network of eyes and ears, all working together to combat crime and suspicious activity in rural areas. Police have teamed up with the National Farmers Union to help deliver the scheme.
Central Divisional Commander Superintendent John McDonald said: "It has been seen to help reduce the opportunity for crime to occur in farming and rural communities. It affords people to be encouraged to report suspicious incidents to the police as they occur and share the information with other Farm Watch members.
"As well as helping to prevent crime, it also goes along way to strengthen community spirit, trust and confidence with everyone working together to protect their property and making our communities safe."
He added: "Farmers have a great deal of capital and lifetime investment, spread over large areas of rural land. Experience tells us that valuable farm livestock, machinery and equipment are vulnerable and portable, and can be relatively easy to remove from land and disposed of through criminal networks across the country not only by the opportunist thief but by highly organised crime gangs.
"Whilst livestock property can never be made totally secure, becoming a Farm Watch member undoubtedly increases community awareness of the issues, improves vigilance in the countryside, and reduces the risk of becoming a victim of farming or rural crime.”
A spokesperson for the National Farmers Union, said: "Rural crime cost the UK Agricultural industry some £50 million in 2010. Although we are still very fortunate in the Highlands of Scotland and are not as badly affected as some areas further south we cannot afford to be complacent. NFU Scotland and NFU Mutual Insurance Company are pleased to work in co-operation with the local Police to help keep the Highlands a low crime area."
For more information and how to become a member, contact your local Community Safety Officer, PC Carrie Shanks, Ross-shire at Alness 01349 883790 and PC Angie Grant Omotosho, Caithness and Sutherland at Dornoch 01862 810222.
