The fact of the matter is a lot of rural crime goes unreported. Farmers feel the local gardaí can’t help them, or those involved may be too embarassed to make contact, because they left gates or doors open and hence didn’t even provide the first line of defence.
In March of this year, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD and chair of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, highlighted the significance of rural crime in a special report called Community Policing and Rural Crime. This report, based on a survey by the Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmer’s Association (ICSA) in conjunction with Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), found that two thirds of Irish farming families have been affected by crime “relating to their farming enterprise.”
Based on this survey, the ICSA and WIT have published three reports on the issue of agricultural crime.
The IFA believes there is considerable under-reporting of rural crime
Their research found that 47% of agricultural crime relates to vandalism/criminal damage/trespass, 43% relates to theft, 5% relates to fraud and 5% relates to criminal assault.
Addressing politicians recently, Deputy IFA president Richard Kennedy also highlighted the anxiety among the farming and rural communities over crime in the countryside.
Theft of valuables from rural homes and of livestock and machinery from farms is of major concern.
The IFA believes there is considerable under-reporting of rural crime, in particular for the theft of machinery, fuels and other items from farmyards and lesser break-ins to the family home.
It also believes there is a need for more accurate reporting of crimes committed in rural areas.
“All vehicle crimes are reported on the PULSE system as 'Unlawful Taking of a Vehicle'. The IFA has called for the separate classification of rural crimes to give a more accurate account of the problems that exist,” Kennedy said.
Quality and expertise
Mr Kennedy also questioned the quality of garda investigations into certain rural crimes, which have often been hampered by boundary issues and lack of specialist expertise in the area.
To address these issues and to improve the quality of crime investigation, the IFA recommended that An Garda Síochána be given the necessary resources and training on the nature, structure and profile of farming, agriculture and rural life.
Gardaí step up
In response to the reports on the extent of rural crime, An Garda Síochána have announced a major restructuring and employment plan.
Earlier this year, it was announced that almost 1,800 additional gardaí will be deployed to frontline duties as part of plans to restructure An Garda Síochána.
This will be achieved by recruiting more gardaí and civilian staff between now and 2021, as well as redeploying existing gardaí. The force said it will continue to remove what is described as “non-core duties” such as immigration and court prosecutions.
The new Operating Model for An Garda Síochána, announced by Commissioner Drew Harris, is thought to be the biggest restructuring of the force in modern times. An Garda Síochána says that there will be an increasing number of community policing teams, with a reduction in administrative structures.
The changes are designed to better represent Irish society
Community policing teams will be working with locals to identify and tackle problem crimes in their area.
The changes are designed to better represent Irish society, including the diversity of communities and the updated nature of crime. Among the changes is a reduction in garda regions from six to four and a reduction in the number of garda divisions from 28 to 19.
This is designed to release more gardaí to frontline duties and deliver a more localised service to communities.
Gardaí said it would improve structures, processes, service and governance, as well as its operational impact.
Reacting to the new garda numbers, Richard Kennedy said: “IFA is a contributor to the annual national Policing Plan. It is our view that the current policing model is not working. We have lobbied consistently for an increased garda presence in rural areas. The new proposed operating model will result in an additional"
Mr Kennedy also questioned the quality of garda investigations into certain rural crimes, which have often been hampered by boundary issues and lack of specialist expertise in the area.
To address these issues and to improve the quality of crime investigation, the IFA recommended that An Garda Síochána be given the necessary resources and training on the nature, structure and profile of farming, agriculture and rural life.
Gardaí step up
In response to the reports on the extent of rural crime, An Garda Síochána have announced a major restructuring and employment plan.
Earlier this year, it was announced that almost 1,800 additional gardaí will be deployed to frontline duties as part of plans to restructure An Garda Síochána.
This will be achieved by recruiting more gardaí and civilian staff between now and 2021, as well as redeploying existing gardaí.
The force said it will continue to remove what is described as “non-core duties” such as immigration and court prosecutions.
Community policing teams will be working with locals to identify and tackle problem crimes in their area
The new Operating Model for An Garda Síochána, announced by Commissioner Drew Harris, is thought to be the biggest restructuring of the force in modern times. An Garda Síochána says that there will be an increasing number of community policing teams, with a reduction in administrative structures.
Community policing teams will be working with locals to identify and tackle problem crimes in their area.
The changes are designed to better represent Irish society, including the diversity of communities and the updated nature of crime. Among the changes is a reduction in garda regions from six to four and a reduction in the number of garda divisions from 28 to 19. This is designed to release more gardaí to frontline duties and deliver a more localised service to communities.
Gardaí said it would improve structures, processes, service and governance, as well as its operational impact.
The new proposed operating model will result in an additional 1,800 gardaí working on the frontline
Reacting to the new garda numbers, Richard Kennedy said: “IFA is a contributor to the annual national Policing Plan. It is our view that the current policing model is not working. We have lobbied consistently for an increased garda presence in rural areas. The new proposed operating model will result in an additional 1,800 gardaí working on the frontline, in the community. This is very welcome news, ensuring Gardai will be able to do the work they were trained for, out and about in rural areas, as opposed to sitting in offices filing paperwork. We support the Garda Commissioner on this initiative.”
Four key solutions to solving rural crime
Feedback from stakeholders involved on the special rural crime report suggest there are four key areas, which, if resourced and modernised could significantly reduce the level of rural crime.
1 Different structures
There is a small but effective rural crime task force in the UK police. The UK National Farmers Union has been actively engaged at community level in supporting the initiative by assisting the task force with intelligence and reporting of suspicious activities.
There have been calls to establish a similar type of Garda operation to tackle rural crime in Ireland, which would provide additional Garda presence and resources in rural communities to target gangs.
2 Marking equipment
All farm organisations encourage farmers to mark their vehicles and farm machinery.
Some projects, such as the IFA-operated Theftstop, involve the unique marking of property, and are quite effective deterrents for theft and recovery of ownership.
CESAR is commonly used throughout the UK and Europe with great success, and has been introduced to Ireland.
CESAR is a marking system that can be used to trace stolen equipment across Europe through the use of police held scanners which are connected to a European-wide database.
Similarly to the Theftstop project, CESAR acts as a deterrent for crime.
An Garda Síochána has welcomed CESAR, but it requires extra resources such as scanners for members of the gardaí.
3 More guards on the beat
In the report from the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, the important issue of visibility of police in communities was raised.
It suggests that in the first three months of 2019, 75 gardaí were redeployed to front-line policing duties.
This builds on the approximately 260 gardaí redeployed to front-line policing duties at the end of 2018.
Since the beginning of 2017, some 480 civilian posts have also been sanctioned to support reform of An Garda Síochána.
In that context, it is a positive that the number of sworn Garda members is now in excess of 14,000, with 200 more gardaí having attested on 7 June.
A further 200 will attest before the end of this year.
4 CCTV schemes allowed
A grant aid scheme to assist groups in setting up community-based CCTV systems has been available through the Department for a number of years. Minister Charles Flanagan said: “While there has been some considerable public comment on this topic, it is important to note that the Data Protection Commission has recently confirmed that there is a sound legal basis for community-based CCTV, and that the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR, does not introduce new obstacles or barriers in that regard.
“I expect, in the near future to make some adjustments to the grant aid scheme in response to feedback I have received. I must emphasise, however, that these steps concern grant funding and not the legal requirements for CCTV.
“The establishment and maintenance of a CCTV system is a serious matter and it is important that appropriate arrangements and safeguards are in place in all cases.”
Read more
Rural crime hits seven-year high
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The fact of the matter is a lot of rural crime goes unreported. Farmers feel the local gardaí can’t help them, or those involved may be too embarassed to make contact, because they left gates or doors open and hence didn’t even provide the first line of defence.
In March of this year, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD and chair of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, highlighted the significance of rural crime in a special report called Community Policing and Rural Crime. This report, based on a survey by the Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmer’s Association (ICSA) in conjunction with Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), found that two thirds of Irish farming families have been affected by crime “relating to their farming enterprise.”
Based on this survey, the ICSA and WIT have published three reports on the issue of agricultural crime.
The IFA believes there is considerable under-reporting of rural crime
Their research found that 47% of agricultural crime relates to vandalism/criminal damage/trespass, 43% relates to theft, 5% relates to fraud and 5% relates to criminal assault.
Addressing politicians recently, Deputy IFA president Richard Kennedy also highlighted the anxiety among the farming and rural communities over crime in the countryside.
Theft of valuables from rural homes and of livestock and machinery from farms is of major concern.
The IFA believes there is considerable under-reporting of rural crime, in particular for the theft of machinery, fuels and other items from farmyards and lesser break-ins to the family home.
It also believes there is a need for more accurate reporting of crimes committed in rural areas.
“All vehicle crimes are reported on the PULSE system as 'Unlawful Taking of a Vehicle'. The IFA has called for the separate classification of rural crimes to give a more accurate account of the problems that exist,” Kennedy said.
Quality and expertise
Mr Kennedy also questioned the quality of garda investigations into certain rural crimes, which have often been hampered by boundary issues and lack of specialist expertise in the area.
To address these issues and to improve the quality of crime investigation, the IFA recommended that An Garda Síochána be given the necessary resources and training on the nature, structure and profile of farming, agriculture and rural life.
Gardaí step up
In response to the reports on the extent of rural crime, An Garda Síochána have announced a major restructuring and employment plan.
Earlier this year, it was announced that almost 1,800 additional gardaí will be deployed to frontline duties as part of plans to restructure An Garda Síochána.
This will be achieved by recruiting more gardaí and civilian staff between now and 2021, as well as redeploying existing gardaí. The force said it will continue to remove what is described as “non-core duties” such as immigration and court prosecutions.
The new Operating Model for An Garda Síochána, announced by Commissioner Drew Harris, is thought to be the biggest restructuring of the force in modern times. An Garda Síochána says that there will be an increasing number of community policing teams, with a reduction in administrative structures.
The changes are designed to better represent Irish society
Community policing teams will be working with locals to identify and tackle problem crimes in their area.
The changes are designed to better represent Irish society, including the diversity of communities and the updated nature of crime. Among the changes is a reduction in garda regions from six to four and a reduction in the number of garda divisions from 28 to 19.
This is designed to release more gardaí to frontline duties and deliver a more localised service to communities.
Gardaí said it would improve structures, processes, service and governance, as well as its operational impact.
Reacting to the new garda numbers, Richard Kennedy said: “IFA is a contributor to the annual national Policing Plan. It is our view that the current policing model is not working. We have lobbied consistently for an increased garda presence in rural areas. The new proposed operating model will result in an additional"
Mr Kennedy also questioned the quality of garda investigations into certain rural crimes, which have often been hampered by boundary issues and lack of specialist expertise in the area.
To address these issues and to improve the quality of crime investigation, the IFA recommended that An Garda Síochána be given the necessary resources and training on the nature, structure and profile of farming, agriculture and rural life.
Gardaí step up
In response to the reports on the extent of rural crime, An Garda Síochána have announced a major restructuring and employment plan.
Earlier this year, it was announced that almost 1,800 additional gardaí will be deployed to frontline duties as part of plans to restructure An Garda Síochána.
This will be achieved by recruiting more gardaí and civilian staff between now and 2021, as well as redeploying existing gardaí.
The force said it will continue to remove what is described as “non-core duties” such as immigration and court prosecutions.
Community policing teams will be working with locals to identify and tackle problem crimes in their area
The new Operating Model for An Garda Síochána, announced by Commissioner Drew Harris, is thought to be the biggest restructuring of the force in modern times. An Garda Síochána says that there will be an increasing number of community policing teams, with a reduction in administrative structures.
Community policing teams will be working with locals to identify and tackle problem crimes in their area.
The changes are designed to better represent Irish society, including the diversity of communities and the updated nature of crime. Among the changes is a reduction in garda regions from six to four and a reduction in the number of garda divisions from 28 to 19. This is designed to release more gardaí to frontline duties and deliver a more localised service to communities.
Gardaí said it would improve structures, processes, service and governance, as well as its operational impact.
The new proposed operating model will result in an additional 1,800 gardaí working on the frontline
Reacting to the new garda numbers, Richard Kennedy said: “IFA is a contributor to the annual national Policing Plan. It is our view that the current policing model is not working. We have lobbied consistently for an increased garda presence in rural areas. The new proposed operating model will result in an additional 1,800 gardaí working on the frontline, in the community. This is very welcome news, ensuring Gardai will be able to do the work they were trained for, out and about in rural areas, as opposed to sitting in offices filing paperwork. We support the Garda Commissioner on this initiative.”
Four key solutions to solving rural crime
Feedback from stakeholders involved on the special rural crime report suggest there are four key areas, which, if resourced and modernised could significantly reduce the level of rural crime.
1 Different structures
There is a small but effective rural crime task force in the UK police. The UK National Farmers Union has been actively engaged at community level in supporting the initiative by assisting the task force with intelligence and reporting of suspicious activities.
There have been calls to establish a similar type of Garda operation to tackle rural crime in Ireland, which would provide additional Garda presence and resources in rural communities to target gangs.
2 Marking equipment
All farm organisations encourage farmers to mark their vehicles and farm machinery.
Some projects, such as the IFA-operated Theftstop, involve the unique marking of property, and are quite effective deterrents for theft and recovery of ownership.
CESAR is commonly used throughout the UK and Europe with great success, and has been introduced to Ireland.
CESAR is a marking system that can be used to trace stolen equipment across Europe through the use of police held scanners which are connected to a European-wide database.
Similarly to the Theftstop project, CESAR acts as a deterrent for crime.
An Garda Síochána has welcomed CESAR, but it requires extra resources such as scanners for members of the gardaí.
3 More guards on the beat
In the report from the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, the important issue of visibility of police in communities was raised.
It suggests that in the first three months of 2019, 75 gardaí were redeployed to front-line policing duties.
This builds on the approximately 260 gardaí redeployed to front-line policing duties at the end of 2018.
Since the beginning of 2017, some 480 civilian posts have also been sanctioned to support reform of An Garda Síochána.
In that context, it is a positive that the number of sworn Garda members is now in excess of 14,000, with 200 more gardaí having attested on 7 June.
A further 200 will attest before the end of this year.
4 CCTV schemes allowed
A grant aid scheme to assist groups in setting up community-based CCTV systems has been available through the Department for a number of years. Minister Charles Flanagan said: “While there has been some considerable public comment on this topic, it is important to note that the Data Protection Commission has recently confirmed that there is a sound legal basis for community-based CCTV, and that the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR, does not introduce new obstacles or barriers in that regard.
“I expect, in the near future to make some adjustments to the grant aid scheme in response to feedback I have received. I must emphasise, however, that these steps concern grant funding and not the legal requirements for CCTV.
“The establishment and maintenance of a CCTV system is a serious matter and it is important that appropriate arrangements and safeguards are in place in all cases.”
Read more
Rural crime hits seven-year high
Farmers fighting cyber crime, fly-tipping and livestock theft
Cost of rural crime in Northern Ireland hits £2.8m
Stolen tractors land Longford dealer in court
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