SURVEY: Some farmers affected by rural crime more than seven times
Some farmers have been affected by trespass or stock theft more than seven times, a rural crime survey shows.
Some farmers have been affected by trespass or stock theft more than seven times, a rural crime survey shows.
At the AgQuip Field Days at Gunnedah recently, farmers were told about how Crime Stoppers is becoming an increasingly valuable tool to help prevent and solve rural crime.
NSW chief executive officer of Crime Stoppers, Peter Price, said generally, farm crime was under-reported, and farmers didn’t think the police would actually do anything about it.
Mr Price said the aim was to get victims reporting and using Crime Stoppers.
He said rural crime was all about economics.
“When the value of something goes up, people start stealing it; it doesn’t matter if it is water, diesel or livestock,” he said.
A recent survey by the Centre for Rural Criminology at the University of New England showed that the five most common crimes experienced by farmers in NSW are trespass (75 per cent), illegal shooting/hunting (52 per cent), theft of equipment and tools (41 per cent), theft of livestock (40 per cent) and theft of fuel (36 per cent).
The survey also showed that many farmers have experienced crime more than seven times.
Southern NSW farmer Paul Funnell of Mundowy Lane said he lost $500,000 in income last year after 350 sheep were stolen.
He said someone in the community knew something, and not reporting was cowardly.
“I was lucky because I survived, but it has set me back years financially,” he said.
NSW Farmers Rural Affairs Committee member and Braidwood farmer Garry Grant said rural crime had a costly impact on people’s livelihoods.
“Most people associate rural crime with stock theft, but it is so much more; it can be diesel theft, or plant and equipment theft, or trespass,” he said.
VFF Livestock Group president Scott Young said rural crime was under-reported, and it was important as much information was put forward as possible.
“I encourage people to be vigilant and report strange activity to the police,” he said.
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