Farm crime: The latest on farm theft figures for Victoria

More and more farmers are becoming savvy about on-farm security, as new data shows an uptick in farm theft offences.

On-farm crime is on the rise, with the number of property items stolen from farms up year-on-year according to recent data.

The latest Victorian Crime Statistics Agency figures for the year to June 30 put the number of property items stolen at farm locations at 2578, compared to 2140 for the same period 2022-23, and higher than the 2553 recorded incidents in 2014-15.

The theft of diesel fuel has lifted year-on-year, with 114 incidents recorded in the 12 months to June 2024 compared to 84 the year prior.

Food thefts also rose, along with a noted uptick in the theft of power tools and tools in general.

However, the number of livestock thefts has softened, from 174 recorded incidents in the 12 months to June 2023 to 139 the same period in 2024.

CSA chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said the figures reflected a 14 per cent increase in property and deception offences in the past 12 months, “driven by theft, burglary and break and enter, and property damage”.

Agricultural security company Land Watch co-founder John Hill said more producers were investing in on-farm security measures such as cameras and water and stock monitoring devices, with farmers becoming increasingly proactive instead of waiting to become a victim of crime.

More producers are being proactive when it comes to farm security, in the wake of an uptick in farm crime in Victoria. Picture: Kate Darvall

“Security is a big thing at the moment,” he said. “We do water and stock monitoring, but security has unfortunately taken over as the main part of our business.”

Mr Hill said producers based in remote locations were often isolated and vulnerable to opportunistic crime.

“There’s no way they can keep an eye on their whole property, and there’s so much to keep an eye on,” Mr Hill said.

“We spend a lot of time explaining to producers that everyone knows on farms there’s the same stuff to steal, there’s quad bikes, they’ve got fuel and machines, there’s something there the crooks want. Even though they might be remote, they are vulnerable still.”

A Victoria Police statement issued to The Weekly Times said in the past year, a number of crimes have taken place on farming properties where livestock and incorrectly stored firearms were stolen.

“Given that many of these crimes are opportunistic, we encourage farmers to remain vigilant about farm security, regularly counting stock and promptly sharing any relevant CCTV footage with police,” the statement read.

“We cannot stress enough the importance of timely reporting when it comes to investigating farm crime. Stolen livestock, for example, could be transported across the country within days, making it challenging for police to respond effectively if there’s a delay in reporting.”

More than 70 Farm Crime Liaison Officers work at police stations and investigative units across Victoria.