Farmers stop calling police as 1 in 3 are hit by crime

More than one in three farmers in Yorkshire was a victim of a crime last year with nearly a third of offences going unreported, it is revealed today.

Information published by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) shows nearly half of farmers do not think enough resources are allocated to tackling rural crime.

The figures have prompted the NFU to launch a new campaign to raise awareness of the issue by promoting practical crime prevention measures and encouraging greater collaboration between the police and local farming communities.

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The campaign, named Give Rural Crime the Boot, is launched today at the start of the Great Yorkshire Show, where organisers have been working round the clock to ensure the wet weather will not disrupt proceedings.

The most common crime experienced by farmers was that of theft, with 29 per cent of farmers having experiencing one or more thefts since March 2011.

Theft of vehicles and machinery is most prevalent, with Yorkshire farmers reporting having items such as quad bikes and tractors stolen.

The latter are most commonly broken up and sold on the black market, often being shipped off to as far away as Africa.

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While most of these rural crimes were reported to the police, a total of 28 per cent questioned by the NFU said they had not notified officers, or had only done so for some incidents.

The crime least likely to be reported was metal theft with criminal damage, arson and burglary the most likely to be reported.

Nearly half of the farmers surveyed said they felt the police had taken sufficient action but many feel that police forces – many of whom are struggling to cope with dwindling resources – could only do so much.

Some farmers said tougher sentences were needed to provide a useful deterrent.

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Adam Quinney, the NFU’s vice president, said the figures “not only affect farmers’ ability to put food on our tables, but also cause farming families to feel exposed and vulnerable”.

He said: “We know that tackling crime in remote rural areas is a challenge and there was some recognition among members that the police do what they can with the resources available.

“Nevertheless there was a clear message from nearly half those interviewed (44 per cent) that not enough police resources are devoted to tackling rural crime.

“We are working closely with all four police forces covering North, South East and West Yorkshire and they have all been keen to get involved.

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“This is not an easy problem to solve and there is much the farming community can do to deter criminals – for example, making it as difficult as possible for thieves to break into farm yards and access vehicles and machinery.

“It’s also true that Yorkshire is home to some excellent Farm Watch schemes – with the Driffield scheme recently winning national recognition – and that’s something we need to build on especially as our research indicates that members really benefit from being involved in such initiatives.”

Russell Toothill, who farms near Doncaster, has been targeted by thieves on several occasions and wants toughener sentencing.

“We had 20 ewes stolen out of a field. Given the difficulty in rounding up sheep during the night they would have to have known what they were doing. We have also had break-ins at our workshops.

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“We have gone to the extreme lengths of digging an open ditch around the farm so vehicles cannot get on and have put cameras up on both sides.

“It has got to the stage where we are seriously questioning keeping livestock any more.

“The police can only do so much with the resources they have. We need penalties to be more severe.

“They have to understand the effect this sort of crime has and the what it does to the community.”