'Light up and lock up' - Rural crime warning

Brackets should be fitted to field gates to prevent them being easily lifted, according to Garda Síochána Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant John Fitzpatrick. Picture: C. Falls / iStock

The Gardaí recorded 166 incidents of thefts from farms in 2022, and 146 in 2021. The steps farmers can take to reduce thefts were discussed recently on the Teagasc Beef Edge podcast, with presenter Catherine Egan talking to Garda Síochána Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant John Fitzpatrick.

Sergeant Fitzpatrick said most burglar activity takes place between 5pm and 10pm, but thefts can occur at all hours and days of the week. “Security should be a principal part of a farmer’s daily routine”, he said. “Good habits and good practice, on a daily basis, are often better than expensive security products or expensive security systems”.

“Keep your hedges, your fences, and gates, in good repair”, Sergeant Fitzpatrick advised. Brackets should be fitted to field gates to prevent them being easily lifted.

“You want to deter the criminals from coming into your property”, he said. “You can deter people from coming in, by making it more difficult to get onto your property, by making sure that you have that daily routine of having the gates closed, locked, and looking after your animals. Signage saying that it’s private property, no entry on to the land, you can certainly deter the criminal”, he said.

“You can go further by perhaps removing your cattle grids, they can be removable, and using locking posts to lock yards and prevent access”.

“We want to think about deterring them and delaying them. Obviously, any valuable equipment like quad bikes, all-terrain vehicles or tractors should be parked out of sight at night. They should definitely be kept out of sight of nearby roads”, Sergeant Fitzpatrick advised.

“Keep your yard gate closed. Open gates are, unfortunately, an invitation to thieves. They provide an excuse for someone to come on and say they’re just looking around, or looking for directions”.

If valuable vehicles have to be left out of doors overnight, farmers should consider using wheel clamps or immobilising devices and installing tracking systems so that vehicles can be located, in the event of robbery. Many tracking devices can also notify the farmer if a vehicle is being interfered with, possibly facilitating early intervention.

“If you’re going to spend thousands on vehicles, you should absolutely be investing in security as well," Sergeant Fitzpatrick said.

“One of the simple ways to make your equipment less attractive to thieves is to reduce the payoff for the criminal”, he said. This can be done by marking it overtly in such a way that it is clearly the property of a particular owner, as well as marking it covertly, so that it can be readily traced back to the true owner.

How can farmers purchasing equipment ensure it is not stolen property? “If somebody is coming on to your property and they’re offering you equipment for sale, and they’ve no track record of where it’s come from, they’re not going to give you invoices and they’re not giving you receipts, then you should obviously be very suspicious about the origins of that property”, Sergeant Fitzpatrick said. One should always purchase farm equipment from reputable suppliers with a "bricks and mortar" location, he advised.

Sergeant Fitzpatrick strongly advised installing dusk-to-dawn LED lighting and/or movement-activated lighting around the yard and farm home. “You’re deterring criminals coming on to the property because there’s no darkness for them to hide in”, he said.

If an alarm system is installed, it should be used. A video doorbell system connected to a smartphone will enable you to see and speak with callers (even if you are not at home).

“Light up and lock up”, he said, advising that lights should be turned on remotely or by using a timer if householders are away, as well as ensuring that all windows and doors are locked.

What should farmers do if they encounter intruders on their property? “Avoid confrontation at all costs”, Sergeant Fitzpatrick said. One can inform them clearly from a safe distance that they are on private property and are not welcome and that An Garda Siochana will be called if they do not depart. Most people will subsequently leave. 

“Do call us. Don’t confront people, call us if necessary, and we can come and assist you if necessary”.