Garda air patrols to combat Christmas tree thefts in Wicklow

Gardaí are mounting regular air patrols on remote fir tree plantations in a bid to combat gangs of Christmas tree raiders.

Many growers in Co. Wicklow — which is home to the highest concentration of Christmas tree farms in the country — have invested in temporary security personnel, motion detectors, and hidden cameras to help deter thefts during the busy harvest period.

Supt Paul Hogan, who is based at Wicklow Town Garda Station, said Operation Hurdle, now in its fourth year, is helping win the war against gangs.

“Back in 2011 a Christmas tree grower from Roundwood was tied up and robbed, so a delegation of farmers came to me and we decided enough was enough. We started working more closely together and we set up Operation Hurdle, which has worked very well and helped reduce the number of cases drastically.

“We have the assistance of the air corps unit and they’re able to cover large tracts of land and spot any suspicious activity. It’s a big deterrent and the focus is on prevention rather than catching people.

“We’ve upped our game, with regular patrols and more visibility in the Wicklow Uplands area and the gangs know that we are now more pro-active than we used to be.

“As well as that, the growers themselves have put in their own security. Some of them have guys in caravans at the entrance to their farms keeping a lookout.

“These measures are needed because it takes the farmers about 10 years to grow a tree and this time of year they’re harvesting. It’s basically their livelihood that’s at stake at the moment, because everything is riding on the success of the harvest.”

Gangs that target the Wicklow farms tend to be either Dublin-based or local raiders who are “well-known to gardaí” and more familiar with Co Wicklow’s rural terrain. Typically, stolen trees would be sold on for up to €50 each.

Local grower Christy Kavanagh said he had invested heavily in security at his remote Newtownmountkennedy farm, where he was busy harvesting up to 7,000 festive firs.

“I’ve 24 webcams set up on the farm, which are backed up to a smartphone. We’ve put on extra security and the gardaí here are doing a great job,” he said.

Nationwide, Christmas tree growers are anticipating a bumper crop this year, with up to 550,000 festive firs expected to be harvested between now and early December — 50,000 more than last year.

More than 80 growers across the country have begun harvesting their seasonal crop, with up to 350,000 trees expected to be sold throughout Ireland before Christmas Day.

The Irish Christmas Trees Growers Association said the total value of the Christmas tree market to the Irish economy was €21m.