Simple steps to help make your farm theft-proof

The most common crime carried out against farmers is theft from farmyards. About 2,000 such incidents are reported every year. The next most common incident is theft from outhouses or sheds, followed by burglary of the farmhouse itself.

Former garda Colin Connolly is very familiar with this issue. He was involved in crime investigation and prevention for over 11 years, and now works with the IFA as its rural crime prevention executive.

Colin is keen to pass on his experience to farm families, regularly addressing farmer groups and meetings. There are many simple steps that farmers can take to reduce the chances of being a victim of thefts and other crimes, he says.

Here, Colin provides tips for safeguarding your farmhouse, farmyard, machinery and livestock.

Secure the farmhouse

Do an inventory of the security of your doors and windows, Colin says.

“A lock is only as strong as the door you have – so make sure your front and back doors are secure. Consider fitting a door viewer, door chain and limiter.”

Window restrictors allow ventilation but limit opening, so they are secure. “They are also an excellent protection for children. However, always ensure that you do not create any difficulty in getting out of your home in an emergency, such as a fire.”

Lights

“Criminals don’t like light,” Colin says. “So, make sure that your property is well lit. Dusk-to-dawn sensor lights can be very effective. Use timer-controlled lights inside the property.

“Lights around the front door of your property are excellent. They will allow you to see a person’s face through the door viewer.”

Keys

“Do not leave keys in door locks – even on the inside. Keys can be fished through the letter box in a door. If keys are left in view, that will encourage the criminal.

Create safe storage for keys in your home.”

Valuables and cash

Property that is marked or identifiable is less appealing to a criminal; it is harder to sell on and a criminal does not want to be found with it. Valuable jewellery, watches, laptops, and so on should be marked, photographed and recorded.

Remember to include these items on your house insurance. In the event of a claim, proof of ownership will be required, so keep records.

Do not keep large quantities of cash in your home and consider a small safe for storing jewellery and personal documents.

Alarms

“Having a working house alarm is very important,” Colin says. “A monitored alarm is best as they alert designated people if activated.

“Use it at all times. Be aware of the zone functions of your alarm and while home in the evening set the exterior alarm. Even if you are only popping out to the school run or the shop, set the alarm.

“Teach children how to set the alarm and be aware of the panic alarm button in your home.”

Outside items

“Some of the most common items stolen from farms are diesel fuel, home heating oil, power tools, lawnmowers and trailers,” Colin says. “Garages and outhouses should be secured. Doors should be locked with robust locks and the shed alarmed, where possible.

“Power tools, lawnmowers, trailers and other items should be marked and their details recorded. A good CCTV system, installed by a reputable person, will add peace of mind and having CCTV cameras trained on strategic locations on your property will deter criminals.

“I would advise people to look at their oil tanks, including home heating oil and farm diesel. Fit a lock on tanks and have them well lit up.”

“If you have CCTV, ensure that the camera is trained on the tank. Consider a fuel tank alarm or monitoring system that will alert you immediately if there is any drop in fuel level.

“If your fuel tank is easy to access on a daily basis for you, it will also be easy for a criminal to access. Ensure that your tank is out of the sight and try in as far as possible to have a cage or other structure surrounding it. Consider planting naturally defensive shrubs around your tank. A criminal targeting oil will need access by a vehicle, so have gates locked.”

Working in the yard

Farmers spend much of their time working in the yard. “Don’t assume that because you are in the yard, your farmhouse is not at risk. In many burglaries I attended as a garda, the homeowner was present, and perhaps in the rear of the house or yard, at the time of the crime.” Colin’s advice is:

Don’t lose machinery

As too many farmers know, farm trailers, horseboxes, tractors and other types of farm machinery are targets for criminals, especially if they are left unsecured or in isolated fields.

“Aim to store vehicles as close to your premises as possible, ideally out of sight from passers-by,” Colin says. “That cannot be overemphasised. The best place to store machinery is in a secure shed or, if that is not possible, at least away from nearby roads and easy access.

“Wheel-clamps are available to fit all sizes of wheel and should be used to help prevent trailers, horseboxes other vehicles from being stolen. Locking-posts are an additional feature that can be installed to provide extra security for trailers.”

“The bigger block method is very effective; this is quite simply the practice of blocking your trailer with a vehicle or other object that is larger and more difficult to move, in order to prevent it being taken easily.”

Don’t leave keys in tractors or quads or hidden nearby. Store the keys in a secure place.

Mark your machines Marking or customising your farm equipment will deter thieves and will ensure that your property is easily identifiable. It will also help An Garda Síochána to return any recovered property to you in the event of a theft.

Keep receipts, documentation or photographs of your property in a safe place to assist gardaí should you be the victim of a theft.

TheftStop allows you to both ID mark your property and to keep secure records. You can register for free at www.TheftStop.ie and once registered, you will get a unique security ID that you can use to brand or mark your property.

Once registered with TheftStop, you have access to a secure online personal profile, in which you can upload photographs or distinguishing features about your property.

All new trailers come with a manufacturer serial number and you can record the details as additional information in your TheftStop profile.

Be a clever buyer

The secondhand market for trailers and horseboxes is a “busy place”, Colin says. “Care should be taken when buying a used item. Ask for proof of ownership and be suspicious of anything that seems out of the ordinary.”

“Never view a trailer in a public car park or other public place. If possible, try to view at the seller’s home address or at a known place where there is CCTV. Ensure to check for any tampering or removal of the chassis number or TheftStop ID.”

Cattle rustling “Unlike many other thefts, theft of cattle and other livestock is not opportunist but instead organised criminality,” Colin says. “So, farmers should aim to reduce opportunity.”

Colin’s advice for preventing cattle rustling is:

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